


Family Ties

by Dispari



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-28
Updated: 2015-02-03
Packaged: 2018-03-03 22:34:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 32,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2890448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dispari/pseuds/Dispari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been twelve years since Korra and Asami took their vacation in the Spirit World and began a new life together. In this story, Korra seems troubled by something that keeps her up at night, and Asami soon finds that the Avatar would like to take a significant step in their relationship. Told through Asami's perspective.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New Beginnings

Asami awoke suddenly from movement in the bed. Her eyes snapped quickly open as her body jerked, responding to the motion. She felt a weight pulling free of her arms, and she began to sit up. Her heart pounded quickly in her chest from the momentary start. She shuffled against the sheets, pulling her legs in closer. Her eyes blinked while taking in her surroundings, making out shapes and figures in the darkness. The motion pulling away from her rocked the bed, and she felt the pressure and warmth retreating from her chest, where Korra had been tucked comfortably just a moment ago. Asami turned her eyes to focus on the other woman, trying to make sense of being pulled out of her sleep. She raised a hand to rub under her eyes to fight off sleepiness.

Beside her, Korra was starting to sit up, perched on the edge of the bed. At first she faced away, as if preparing to step free of the bed and leave, but she paused when noticing Asami staring at her in drowsy confusion. Korra turned back around and dropped to her hands and knees. She leaned into Asami, making the sleepy woman squint when she planted a kiss between her eyes. The cute gesture made Asami smile. "Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," Korra whispered.

Asami groaned quietly while collecting her thoughts in her half-awake state. She felt a fleeting chill down the front of her body, where Korra had been resting a moment ago and radiating a pleasant heat. Blinking slowly, she focused finally on Korra and her words. "No, it's fine," Asami replied in a soft voice. "I'm up now. Are you okay?" She felt worried for Korra's sake, wondering what was troubling her in the middle of the night.

"Yeah," Korra offered. Her voice was a little worn, but above a whisper now. "I was just dreaming is all." She began to settle, kneeling in front of Asami.

"You weren't having another nightmare, were you?" Asami asked. She straightened herself to address Korra more seriously. If Korra was feeling afraid, she wanted to be there to lend her comfort. Her eyelids drooped, gazing at Korra with a slight pout of worry.

Asami's concern lessened when Korra shook her head in response, and she couldn't help but smile slightly at the adorable way Korra's short hair twirled through the air before falling onto her cheeks. "No, nothing like that. I was just remembering something." Asami gazed inquisitively at Korra, silently prompting her to continue. Korra fidgeted slightly under the weight of Asami's stare, and lowered her eyes in careful contemplation. After a moment, she cleared her throat to break the awkward silence. "I was thinking about Kuvira."

Asami relaxed slightly, letting go of some of the tension in her muscles. She leaned into Korra's shoulder, tilting her head to rest it against Korra's hair. "Kuvira? I thought you were at peace with that." She paused, watching Korra squirm in uncomfortable silence beside her. Asami furrowed her brow and raised a hand. She traced her fingertips along the curve of Korra's face, drifting up into her hair in an attempt to calm her. "I didn't know you were having dreams about her. You've never mentioned it before."

"It's recent," Korra responded shortly. Asami tilted her head, trying to study Korra's face. She seemed tense and restless. Asami knew intuitively that something else was nagging Korra's mind, distracting her. But before she could ask anything else, Korra leaned her weight away, stretching toward the edge of the bed. She pushed her feet out to the floor, moving to stand. She turned and looked back at Asami. Korra displayed a great deal of stress on her face. Her eyes looked tired, and not from being woken up. "Sorry. I need to get some water."

Asami sat in the bed, watching Korra turn and pace out of the room. She felt momentarily helpless, but wanted to do everything she could to offer comfort. What could possibly be bothering her that she didn't want to share? Even after all these years, Korra could still find it hard to express her emotions, but she generally opened up to Asami when prompted. Asami deflated, sitting in the bed for a long time. She carefully went over all the things she thought might be worrying Korra, but it didn't seem to be nightmares plaguing her, and nothing else came to mind. Asami placed a hand on her forehead, straining her mind to try and work out exactly how to approach Korra and what to say to her. She assumed Korra would open up when she was ready, but maybe she just needed to be reminded that Asami was there for her, no matter the problem.

Asami decided she needed to find Korra and lend her guidance. She finally slipped from the sheets and to the floor after a long wait, quickly finding slippers to combat the cold floor, and exchanging her large shirt for a warmer nightgown. She quickly shook the clothing to work the folds out of it, then set off down the hall to find Korra.

She swiftly moved through the mansion, passing a few doors, and leaning her weight around the corner to check a washroom. As she made her way toward the kitchen, the scent of lingering jasmine in the air confirmed her suspicions that Korra was there. She entered the open room, catching sight of Korra leaning on the counter. She was holding a cup of steaming tea. And she was facing away, her eyes focused blankly on the nearby window.

Asami pulled on the edges of her robe to tighten it around her. She made her way to Korra, sliding in behind her. She made a point of shuffling noisily enough to make her presence known. Korra looked over her shoulder at Asami as the older woman's arms stretched around her. She pulled Korra's back against her chest, embracing her, recalling recent memories of having been sleeping in this same arrangement with her Avatar in her arms. Asami sighed, her head tilting to press their cheeks together. Korra was stiff in her arms, shaking ever so slightly. "Korra, I don't like seeing you like this. Please tell me what's bothering you."

Korra sighed. She raised both arms, lifting the cup of tea to her lips to take a sip of it. Asami thought briefly that she might be stalling, but the shivering was starting to calm. The tea likely helped soothe Korra's rattled nerves, as did the hug. Asami stayed quiet, waiting for her love to speak. "I'm sorry, honey. I don't think I'm ready to talk about it."

Asami tightened her arms around Korra's middle. Partly to remind her Avatar that she was there, and partly to squeeze some sense into her. She loosened her embrace and leaned more closely into Korra, sighing against her cheek. Depressed Korra could be frustrating at times, if only because of her active unwillingness to be helped. But persistence tended to pay off — she just needed to be reminded of how much Asami cared. "You know there's nothing in the world you can't share with me. I love you. I want us to work through whatever's hurting you."

The tea cup lifted once again to Korra's lips. She drank from it slowly, then closed her eyes. Her face had a thoughtful expression, likely trying to work through a host of things swimming through her head. Asami waited in silence, eventually lifting a hand to run the back of her fingertips along Korra's smooth face. It pained her to see her Avatar so conflicted. She didn't know how else she could reach out to her. She had to believe that Korra would be willing to talk through her troubles. And she eventually was. "If I tell you, you won't get upset, will you?"

Asami blinked. A slight knot began to work its way into her stomach. She didn't like those foreboding words. She couldn't begin to imagine what Korra wanted to say. She had no suspicions, no reason not to trust her love. But Korra's words implied she wanted to express something that Asami wouldn't like. Her fingers began to loosen, relaxing from the embrace of the other woman. She eased back, slightly unsteady on her feet as she leaned into the counter beside the two of them. She could see some of the tension returning to Korra's body when the contact was removed. Korra was visibly unsettled, and Asami could only speculate on what Korra wanted to tell her. She spoke slowly. "I can't say whether I'll be upset. I can only promise that I refuse to let anything come between us. I care about you. Please." She lowered her eyes, not sure what else she could say and still be honest.

Korra turned in place, moving to face Asami. She stood near her, holding the still-hot tea in both her hands. She dipped her head closer, looking more cautiously at Asami's face. Despite the nervousness in the air from both of them, Korra decided to push onward. "Before Kuvira was arrested, when we were in the Spirit World, I talked to her briefly," she began.

Asami batted her worried eyes in Korra's direction. She felt small in front of Korra's words. They could literally be going anywhere. Many different ideas buzzed in her head, some tame and others horrid. But her Avatar would never do anything terrible. She'd never do anything to hurt her. Still, she felt creeping fingers of doubt crawling up her spine, and she restrained a shiver. She tried to focus on Korra's loving blue eyes to give her strength. "What did you talk about?" Asami asked in a small voice.

Korra averted her eyes, though only for a moment. Asami knew it was difficult for her to find the words, and to express what she wanted to say. She waited, and Korra continued. "She told me about how she felt growing up as an orphan. Su took her in, eventually, but I could tell she never stopped feeling lonely. She said she always felt as though her parents abandoned her. And I think that plagued her her entire life."

Asami felt tense, her body bracing for some impact yet to come. She followed along with each word, listening to Korra talk more in detail about Kuvira and her history. But confusion swelled in her face. She couldn't work out what Korra was trying to convey, or why she felt ashamed at sharing this story. There had to be more to it. "But you talked her through it," she said encouragingly. "You made her realize what she was doing was wrong. And you stopped the violence. Like a wise and decisive Avatar."

"I know, but I didn't like seeing what brought her to it. She seemed so… empty, and sad. I know she and I didn't go through the same things, but I've felt the same way before. It's so awful feeling alone. And the worst part is it could have all been avoided if only there was someone there for her when she needed it." Korra tightened in on herself, her arms crossing. She held the tea cup in one hand and her eyes fell to look away.

Asami tensed at the words. Feelings came flooding back, and she focused on the time the two spent apart when Korra was sick for three years. She generally felt like Korra was distancing herself from her friends due to her own personal struggles. But it almost sounded like Korra was blaming Asami for not trying harder to reach out to her. Maybe Korra did push away from everyone, but Asami could've insisted on going with her to the South Pole. She could've done more to be there for her. And then maybe she wouldn't have felt so alone. Maybe the worry was baseless. She  _did_  try very hard to stay in touch with Korra all that time. But the concerns about Korra feeling lonely definitely hit close to home. She raised her sad eyes to Korra. She wanted to clear any doubt there may have still been. "I hope you know that I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you were poisoned. I should have been. And I wanted to be, so badly, but—"

"I never blamed you for that, honey," Korra interjected. "That was  _entirely_  my fault. And I'm just so very lucky you didn't hate me for being gone so long."

Asami sighed unsteadily, shaking her head. "I could never hate you, for anything you did. I know it was a difficult time for you. It was for me, too. I just don't like knowing that you felt alone."

Korra nodded appreciatively. "I know. But I did that to myself. And I've gotten past it. What was hurting Kuvira was completely outside of her control. She was helpless, and she needed someone to reach out to her and guide her. I don't want—" Korra stopped herself, struggling to continue her train of thought.

Asami continued to watch Korra's face. She only felt more confused with every word her Avatar spoke. She knew some of Kuvira's story, but she didn't understand why Korra was repeating it now, or why it seemed to pain her so much. Korra talked about loneliness, but she knew her love couldn't be feeling lonely now, could she? So what was it? "Korra…" she began, but stopped, not knowing what to say.

The younger woman raised her eyes to catch Asami's gaze. Asami felt momentarily eased by the blue irises watching her, but Korra's voice was becoming increasingly unsteady. She was drawing closer to what she truly wanted to say. Korra spoke again. "It's—I know there are others out there just like her. Children who feel alone, like they don't have anyone. Children that can be saved, if someone just reaches out to them. I know there are kids who need loving homes, and loving parents." Korra took in a slow breath. She looked almost visibly pained, as if trying to breathe was a chore. Her eyes drifted away in thought, but returned to Asami when ready to speak again. Her expression showed a heavy sorrow, and fear. "And I—I really, really want to help them, Asami. I want  _us_  to be able to help them. I know I can't—we can't help all of them, but, maybe if we could help just one—" She bit her lip, unable to spit anything else out.

Asami was terribly confused, and she was sure the look on her face showed as much. Korra was dancing around the delivery. Anxiety was starting to push painfully upon Asami's stomach, and she couldn't stand it. She pushed away from the counter, closing some of the distance between them. Both her hands raised, cupping Korra's cheeks in her palms. She tried to steady her, to be her center and guide her. She looked closely into her Avatar's eyes, exhaling a pent-up breath. "What are you trying to say, Korra?" she asked plainly.

Korra's mouth twisted in an attempt to fight her words. She looked more vulnerable than Asami remembered seeing her in a long time. She was struggling greatly, but she forced herself through, into her confession. Her eyes were heavy as she spoke. "It's just—we've been together for twelve years now, and… I'm wondering if—if I feel I'm ready for us to raise a child together. I-I want to share that experience with you, and share the love we have with someone who needs it." She stopped, inhaling a shaking breath.

Asami's eyes drew wide. All the air in her lungs left her body, leaving her unable to respond. Her fingers curled on Korra's cheeks, and she shied away from the woman before her. She was speechless, her mind and heart flooding with a mix of emotions. She felt touched that Korra would want to share something like that with her. But she was immediately fearful of all the new things it would mean, and all the changes. She felt lost, never having even stopped to consider it before, yet realizing Korra had thought about it a great deal. She doubted herself, not thinking she could step up to such an immense task. And she felt a spark of something else. A closeness to Korra in that dark moment. But she didn't know which feeling to concentrate on. Or if she had any control of it. Her hands started to shake, and she raised one to her face. She finally let out a breath. Her cheeks flushed red, and she closed her eyes. "Korra, I—I don't know. This would be such a huge, huge step. I've never even… thought about this before." She turned away, suddenly feeling weak in her knees. She moved until her back was to Korra, starting to shake with a heavy looming uncertainty.

Korra approached her, as Asami knew she would. Very carefully, Korra's strong arms reached around Asami's middle and pulled her in close to her chest. Korra raised a hand, elevating the teacup into Asami's fingers. Asami's eyes cracked slightly, and she curled her fingers to take the offered cup. It was warm against her palm. She sniffled a weak thank you, raising the cup to her lips to drink. As she did, Korra strengthened the hug, pulling Asami against her body. Korra leaned against her neck while speaking. "I know. I'm very sorry. But I've been thinking about this for weeks now. I'm sorry I'm dropping it on you so suddenly. If you need some time—"

"I-I do," stuttered Asami. Her fingers were feeling numb. She felt sideswept by the revelation of what was on Korra's mind. She honestly didn't know how to feel. She felt a glimmer of hope that it could become something wonderful, but there was still lingering doubt over the incredible responsibilities she'd have to step up to. And she'd never before considered the possibility of including another person in her life. Like Korra said, it was very sudden.

Behind her, Korra sighed with some sadness. She loosened her grip to ease her weight off the taller woman. A hand drifted up Asami's arm and over her shoulder. Asami tilted her head as the hand wandered along her neck, pulling curls of long, raven-black hair away from her skin so her Avatar could lean in and issue a tender kiss to her collar. Asami let out a quiet sound, allowing the intimacy to relax her. Korra continued, trying to console her. "I'm sorry if I upset you."

"You didn't upset me," Asami replied in a kind voice. She lifted both hands, raising the cup to take another drink of the warm jasmine tea. She lingered on the warmth it offered, spreading heat through her chest and into her stomach. "And it seems like it could be such a wonderful thing. But I just don't know, Korra."

"I don't want to rush you," Korra said softly. She pulled away from Asami's neck, leaving behind a fleeting sense of absence where the two touched. "I've thought about it a lot, and I want you to think about it too. It's a big step forward, and I want to be able to take it with you." Korra raised a hand to pass over Asami's arm, catching her wrist. Asami removed one of her hands from the cup of tea, allowing Korra to take it and turn her on her feet. She leaned into the kiss Korra offered, briefly clicking their lips together. After, Korra spoke softly against her lips. "I love you."

"I love you too," Asami breathed. She batted her green eyes, looking into Korra's comforting gaze. She found peace in the subtle smile of her Avatar, finally allowing her enough strength to pull away and relax against the edge of the counter, standing on her own feet without Korra's support. She took another sip from the teacup, which was nearly empty now. "I'll think about it. For you."

Korra flashed a wider smile. "For us, sweetie." She elevated a hand, running fingertips briefly across Asami's cheek. Asami appreciated just how gentle Korra could be. She knew how strong and powerful Korra was, and yet she was the kindest of souls when it came to Asami. It pained her to see Korra so vulnerable and anxious. She knew how much her Avatar cared about her thoughts and feelings, and wanted her opinion and her acceptance.

"Yes," Asami whispered. She tilted her head into the fingertips. She moved to meet the touch, kissing the palm. "You should get some sleep."

"Aren't you coming too?" Korra asked, concerned.

Asami shook her head and shied away from the hand. She settled back into position, drinking the last of the tea and setting the cup down. "No, I have some thinking to do. I won't be able to sleep right now anyway."

Korra nodded, showing her understanding. "Come to bed as soon as you're ready, okay?" She leaned closer and planted a quick kiss on Asami's nose. Asami scrunched it and returned a weak smile.

"I will." She watched Korra turn and retreat from the kitchen. She waited while her Avatar disappeared slowly into the hallway, around a corner.

Left alone, Asami inhaled deeply to release a large sigh. She tipped her head forward, clutching a hand upon her forehead. She had a lot to think about now. The idea of being… a  _mother_  to someone. And undergoing that experience with Korra, beginning the next stage of their relationship. Was she ready for that? She wanted to be happy, but it was honestly frightening. She didn't know how to begin. What would being a parent even be like? She didn't have the experience or the knowledge. But maybe that was part of the learning process. At least Korra would be there for her to lean on.

But the question remained how to start. Asami felt nervous just thinking about what changes would need to occur in their lives to accommodate someone new. Or even to begin preparing for it. They would have to first find a suitable adoption agency and go through the entire process involved. Not that she knew what that process entailed. And the house would have to change; they'd need to buy new things. Clothes, toys, a place to sleep — a child would need a room of their own.

Asami suddenly felt restless. She took a glance around the room and then set off down the hall on swiftly-moving feet. Her mind was now set on completing a task; she was focused on undertaking a project and finishing it. She wound through the estate, making her way into a side room with a number of shelves and books. After turning on the light, she walked a circle around the room, her eyes quickly scanning a variety of collected paperwork. Most of it was boring and technical. Details and blueprints for the rail station's layout, historical information, news articles, maps. She stopped near a collection of maps, picking out a recent one and stuffing it under her arm. Next, she strolled past collected blueprints of the mansion and pulled one free of the shelf. She continued on, glancing over various references until she found what she was looking for: a business guide. She plucked it from the shelf and walked to the center table in the room, spreading all three items out on it.

The engineer then moved to retrieve other tools: a pad of paper, writing utensils, and ink. She returned to the table and sat, her mind now swimming with thoughts and ideas. She felt a spark of frantic motivation to get something done. Being wide awake and hyper-focused on the task of preparation made it easier to concentrate. Opening the business guide and flipping through it, she skimmed over the different entries, turning over pages until she found the proper section. She tapped a finger on the page, scanning down to a listing of adoption agencies. She pulled the paper and a brush closer, copying down the names, numbers, and addresses from the book. With the information jotted down, she turned her attention to the map. After a careful inspection, she circled the addresses corresponding to each building. She stopped, leaning back in place to consider the work done. At least now they would know how and where to start.

Her attention wandered then to the other map, the blueprints of the mansion. She reached out to pull it closer and inspect it. Briefly, she considered the areas closest to their bedroom. One was being used as storage, while another was a second office. She liked her primary office more, even if it was farther away. And, she supposed, making changes and sacrifices would be something she'd have to embrace if she wanted to seriously consider this as an option. She studied the room and its layout, then reached to lift the brush. She quickly drew a few sketch lines atop the room as an overlay. Where a bed might fit, where a toybox might go, where a dresser for clothes could be worked in. She'd have to move a number of things out of the room and find a better place for them. The desk no longer fit the "theme." The bookshelf could stay, but maybe she'd need to stock it with different kinds of books.

Eventually she stopped herself. She looked down at the paper, with the numerous thin ink lines detailing all manner of furniture and decorations. For a moment she thought she might be going a little too far with it. She focused so much on the "how" that she didn't stop to think if she actually wanted to. Her hand tilted to tap the hard end of the brush against the table with repeated thumps. At the very least, it would be an excuse to clean out the office. And doing additional research and contacting some of the organizations couldn't hurt.

She dragged all the paperwork into a pile, shuffling and stacking it into a single mass. She lifted it, tapping it solidly on the table to organize it. Afterward, she pushed away from the table and moved to stand with a final glance over the messy surface. She'd pick through and put away the rest of the mess another day. For now, she just hoped to make use of the notes she collected. She moved to leave the room, turning off the lights on her way out, and making her way back to the bedroom.

Upon arriving, she pushed the door open and leaned inside. Korra was asleep on the bed, safe and sound. Asami's weight eased into the doorframe, and she relaxed in place with all the paperwork clutched against her chest with both hands. Her green eyes wandered over her Avatar, curled up on her side with sheets haphazardly laid across her body. How Korra could sleep at a time like this, she didn't know. Asami shook her head, smiling to herself and whispering, "What am I going to do with you, Korra?"

She decided to approach, walking to the edge of the bed. Standing over her sleeping Avatar, she turned her gaze down and just admired the relaxed expression on her face. In that moment, she concentrated on Korra. Just the idea of being there with her, sharing a bed and a life together. She liked everything they had, and everything they enjoyed. In a strange way, she never really expected it to change. And she wasn't sure if she wanted it to. Was there really room for a third person? Her thoughtful eyes lowered and she sighed. She felt unsettled, eventually turning to plop down onto the bed. She sat near the foot of it, still holding both armfuls of paperwork. She returned her eyes to the sleeping Korra, clearing her throat. When Korra didn't stir, Asami spoke louder and more purposefully. "Korra, sweetie?"

Korra began to wake, shuffling in the bed at first and pulling at the sheets. Asami waited patiently, just letting her Avatar go through the steps of getting up. It took Korra a moment to steady herself and understand where she was. Her blue eyes blinked at Asami seated near her feet, and she lifted a hand to run through her short brown hair. Finally, after a yawn, Korra turned her sleepy attention to Asami. "Yeah? You okay?"

Asami nodded. "I'm fine. I didn't want to wake you, but I have a couple things on my mind. I'd like to get it all off my chest." Asami chewed on her lip as silence set back in. She wasn't sure if having this conversation in the middle of the night with a drowsy Korra was the best idea. But she wouldn't be able to calm down otherwise.

The short-haired woman yawned again, covering her mouth this time. She squinted her eyes to try and concentrate. But all the while, she was paying attention to Asami. Asami knew, of course, that demanding Korra listen to her at this point was a taxing experience. So she appreciated it all the more when Korra put genuine effort into it. "What do you want to… talk about?"

Asami lowered her arms, dropping the collection of notes and papers onto her lap. She picked over them slowly, selecting first the one with numbers and addresses on it. "Can you light a lamp for me?" she asked sweetly.

Korra obliged, turning in place and reaching to the nearby lamp beside the bed. She flicked her fingers at it, creating a spark that grew into a larger, contained flame. Korra twisted the small knob on the side to adjust the light level to a point where they could both read. Once finished, she turned to look at Asami.

Leaning toward Korra, Asami handed the paperwork over, pointing at the page. "I looked up the different adoption agencies in the city. I found these three. But I would recommend the one at the top. It's larger and more well-known." She went silent, allowing Korra to examine the page. The woman's blue eyes moved back and forth, reading the information as if trying to learn more about each one just by understanding the names. When Korra's eyes lifted, Asami leaned over again, placing the second paper with the map of each location. "I marked where they are in the city, so we can find them easily if we need to visit."

Korra turned her gaze from one paper to the next. She reached out, lifting the map, and holding the papers side-by-side as if to compare them. Finally, she raised her eyes to meet Asami's. Her lips parted, trying to formulate words. "You really did your research. Does this mean… you want to do it?"

Asami shook her head. She pushed away from her spot, moving across the bed to sit next to her Avatar. She leaned on Korra's side, trying to allow some of the tension to release from her muscles. Korra herself was visibly shaken, and at this point wide-awake. She seemed very excited about the prospect of Asami agreeing. Asami did worry that that would be the case. She wanted to show as much support as she could manage, but had to be honest with herself, even if that meant disappointing her love. "It doesn't mean anything yet, honey. But it wouldn't hurt to contact them and find out more information."

"Okay," Korra replied in an unsteady voice. She turned to relax her weight against Asami.

Asami embraced her with one arm. She didn't enjoy letting Korra down, but she couldn't allow the situation to slip out of her control. If she was to take a step like this, it had to be something they both wanted. "There is one thing I want to do first," Asami added.

"What's that?" By now, Korra sounded wistful and a tiny bit sad. Asami knew she was denying Korra something she wanted, even if only temporarily, and she felt terrible for it.

"If we're going to do this," she began, "we need to fix up the house." She reached out to hand Korra the last paper, the blueprints with modifications. Korra took it and started to pour over it, concentrating heavily on the sketched details. "We'll need to convert a room, and I picked that one out because it's in the best location. There are several things we need to get first, like—"

"You're making me really nervous," Korra interrupted with a warm chuckle. "I fell asleep and you planned all this."

"I just wanted to make sure that we would be ready, no matter what happens." Asami reached out to Korra, taking one hand in her own and interlacing their fingers. She felt Korra's warm hand squeezing back, finding some fleeting comfort in the contact.

"So when do we do this?" Korra asked timidly, looking at the blueprint.

"Let's go slow and take a couple days to figure out what we want and then select it. We'll work on it together." Asami leaned into Korra's cheek, her head turning to plant a kiss there to show some comfort at a time when her words weren't carrying as much sway as she hoped.

"Together," Korra agreed. The two were silent for a time. Asami just rested herself against Korra's soft skin while holding her Avatar's hand in her own. Korra had a thoughtful expression for a long time, and finally spoke after careful consideration. "I want you to know that no matter what happens, I still love you. If it turns out this isn't for us—"

"Don't worry about that," interrupted Asami. She raised her other hand to touch Korra's face. The brush of fingertips drew Korra's attention to the hand, making her head turn. Asami intercepted her motion, planting a kiss on the other woman's lips. Korra allowed her eyes to close, holding onto the moment for as long as it lasted. Asami broke the kiss after a few short seconds in order to take a breath. "Let's just enjoy this, the two of us, and see where we end up. What will happen, I don't know. But I do want to find out."

The words seemed to calm Korra down, who turned to ease more of herself against Asami. Korra smiled as she listened to the reasoned response. "It's been a crazy day, but you're right. There's nothing more I want to do than see where we end up, together."

"Maybe it has been a little crazy," Asami admitted. She traced her fingertips gently along Korra's jawline, cradling her hand against her palm. She planted another soft kiss, just a quick peck this time. "But I'm okay with a little crazy."

Korra brightened noticeably. She grinned in response to the comment, and resumed the kiss once more. Both of their eyes slowly closed, and Asami held tight to Korra as they fell into the bed, in each other's arms.


	2. Green Eyes

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_  Asami cringed from the loud hammering noise echoing throughout the hollow room and pounding in her ears. She turned away from the wall she was working on, lowering a thick brush and setting it on top of a can of green paint. She took a moment to make sure she didn't have any flecks of paint on herself. The sleeves of her work-shirt were rolled up and paint-free, and her hair was still tied back with a speckled bandana. Her usual necklace was absent, for fear of dirtying it. After checking that she was clean, she turned to glance at the source of the noise. It was Korra, kneeling nearby on the ground, clumsily trying to force two pieces of machined wood together. Asami turned to stride toward the other woman, coming to a stop with her hands on her hips.

Asami looked down at Korra, a warm smile spreading across her lips at the incredibly cute sight before her. Korra was on the floor with a hammer in one hand and a lapful of wooden planks and unfinished pieces of furniture. She was clearly in over her head, lost trying to complete the task of assembling a newly-bought bed. Asami couldn't help but laugh at how darling she looked. Korra was wearing her usual heavy pants and Water Tribe boots, along with a white tank top that showed off her shoulders and arms. Asami tended to silently admire Korra's toned muscles, even though she rarely mentioned it. She eyed the younger woman, who was staring up at her with confused blue eyes, like a child caught in the act of creating a mess. Asami shook her head and smiled. "Korra, if you force it, you're going to break it. Where'd you even get a hammer?"

Korra shrugged her bare shoulders at the question. "It was in your toolbox next to the… screwdriver thingy, and the…" she paused, turning to look across the room and back, as if searching for an answer. "—other, more different screwdriver thingy." She turned her gaze back up to Asami, looking hopeless.

Asami sighed with mock irritation, walking closer to stand over Korra. She leaned down, causing Korra to stare straight up at her with wide, blinking eyes. "What's the matter, hon? Are you having trouble with it?"

Korra looked down to regard the pile of wood. She rolled her shoulders again, beginning to push the various pieces aside. She brushed her lap free of debris, then reclined in place on the floor, apparently giving up. "I guess I don't understand these instructions. You should've gotten a metal bed so I could just assemble it with bending."

Asami smirked. "You could just invent woodbending," she offered jokingly. "Creating an entirely new form of bending just to get out of building a bed. Sounds like a Korra thing to do."

Korra pouted. "Hey, don't make fun of me. This is hard!" She held out both hands, motioning to the pile of discarded pieces.

Asami dipped closer, reaching down with one hand to plant it on top of Korra's head. She rubbed her hair in a circle, making a mess of the short brown strands. Korra struggled against the kneading hand, squinting her eyes while huffing in playful protest. Asami smiled at her. "Do you want to switch jobs, sweetie? You can paint for a while and I'll put the furniture together." She removed her hand and returned to a more casual stance, waiting for a response.

Once released, Korra sat up and gave a short nod. "That makes sense, yes. Thank you." She pushed to her feet, shuffling to stand on the collection of newspapers the two laid out to keep the floor from being spattered with paint.

Once Korra was on her feet, Asami took the opportunity to lean in close and plant a kiss on her cheek. She caught Korra with both hands, spinning around her and switching places so she could crouch in front of the collected boards and instructions. She examined the details and tried to assess where Korra had been in the steps. While working backward through the booklet, she casually lifted piece after piece, organizing them into neat piles with similar pieces. After picking apart some of the forced-together mass, and going through each step, she determined Korra only correctly made it a few steps in. She plucked matching parts from the reorganized rows and picked up where Korra left off, building the frame and outer structure.

Halfway through the project, Asami found herself distracted by thumping noises and frustrated sighs. She turned her head, blinking in Korra's direction. She watched as her Avatar stood in front of the paint bucket, stamping one foot and then the other. Korra raised a hand to twirl it in the air, and to make a wave motion with her fingers. Asami stared in confusion for some time before speaking up. "Are you okay?"

Korra came to a halt, turning her head to look across the room at the woman seated on the floor. She crossed her arms, snorting. "I was hoping I could bend the paint and splash it on the walls to save time. Next time we're getting water-based paint and metal furniture. Didn't you buy  _anything_  I can do faster with bending?"

Asami chuckled, turning away from her work to face Korra. "Probably not. The sheets aren't made of anything bendable either, just so you know. Besides, what's wrong with a little hard work? Why not just paint the wall the old-fashioned way?"

"Saving time by using bending  _is_  the old-fashioned way for me. I suppose there are a lot of things I never stopped to learn how to do." Korra slumped her shoulders, looking defeated at the realization. She pouted.

Asami tilted her head to the side, watching her Avatar struggling. She was curious what was on Korra's mind. It seemed to be more than just the lack of shortcuts. She was generally hard-working and sincere about trying to get things done. If anything, Korra's personality leaned toward banging her head against a problem until it was solved. So seeing her backing down after a small amount of effort seemed out of character. "Well, it's as good a time as any to learn," Asami offered. She pushed herself into a standing position, casting a glance at the half-completed bed before making her way to Korra's side. She reached out, placing a hand on the small of the other woman's back. She applied pressure there, rubbing in a circle to offer some comfort. "You know, you can't solve everything with bending."

Korra sighed, hanging her head in response to Asami's comment. She did ease more into the hand at her back, however, prompting Asami to continue massaging there. "I know. Maybe that's the problem. I'm just trying to get everything done quickly and correctly so I can move on to the next thing." She raised both hands, gesturing toward the partially-painted wall. "There's a lot I don't actually have the answers for. Like this… whole thing."

Asami paused briefly, her green eyes turning toward the wall to see what Korra was looking at. She only saw the plain white wall, somewhat layered with the dark green color that her love picked out, claiming that it went with her eyes. "What whole thing?" she asked, confused.

"This—this whole motherhood thing," Korra sighed. When her stance weakened, Asami moved to embrace her from behind. She leaned her weight into the shorter woman, resting her chin on Korra's shoulder. Korra shook her head. "I guess I'm a little afraid I won't know what to do." She raised her eyes, waving a hand at the surface in front of herself. "I can't even paint a stupid wall, how am I supposed to figure out how to raise a kid?"

Asami squeezed Korra tighter and frowned at herself. In the last couple days, she had been feeling the same things. And she hated seeing Korra expose the same insecurities. Especially considering how confident she seemed before. In truth, she was envious of Korra's certainty about wanting to adopt. Seeing her back off now was a little frightening. "It's not something you'd have to figure out by yourself, you know. That's why I'm here, so we can figure it out together." She turned her eyes down, looking at the can of paint on the floor. "Come on, I'll teach you. Let's see your technique."

"My technique?" Korra asked, sounding bewildered. She looked around the area, then turned to glance at Asami. She seemed to catch the gesture toward the ground before realizing what Asami meant. She peeled herself away and crouched, picking up the brush.

Almost immediately, Asami chimed in to coach Korra through the steps. "Don't dip it too much. And don't wipe it on the edge. Just rest it there until it stops dripping." She smiled as Korra went through the motions and obeyed the instructions. When Korra began to stand again, her blue eyes were focused on Asami, looking for guidance. Asami stepped closer, leaning her weight on Korra's back again. She brought her hand to Korra's wrist, fingers sliding along her hand and overlapping with hers. "Hold it like you're holding chopsticks. You're going to want to make light strokes, like this." She moved her hand, guiding Korra into the wall and showing her how to apply a layer of paint.

Korra seemed oddly quiet, and as Asami concentrated more closely, she realized her Avatar was somewhat tense from the blush on her cheeks. Asami could tell that Korra was enjoying the closeness, and being walked through the steps of how to do something new. She found some comfort in how easily they cooperated, and it gave her a renewed sense of hope for their future together. If one of them didn't know the answer to something, the other could step in, and if they both didn't know, they could look it up. Asami had to admit she liked the idea of holding hands as they worked through new adventures looming ahead of them. She wanted to think they would lean on each other and be able to get through it, no matter what happened. Her wandering thoughts were pulled back to reality, though, when Korra spoke up. "How do you know so much about painting?"

"Experience," Asami explained. She gently stepped away from Korra to let her move. She watched, surveying Korra when she dropped back to the paint bucket to start anew. She nodded her head, mostly to herself, approving of the method. When Korra stood again, Asami leaned in, only needing to offer a minor correction this time. "Besides designing and building a lot of different machines, I painted my fair share of mecha tanks and cars. At least until we started using better methods. Otherwise it takes forever to paint every Satomobile by hand." She crossed her arms to watch Korra work.

Korra resumed painting the wall. She stood and kneeled several times, adding extra strokes to the wall and filling in the areas without much guidance. "This isn't so hard now that I know what to do."

Asami started to smile, enjoying the fact that Korra was doing things with a renewed energy. But a few moments later, the smile turned into a frown. Korra suddenly turned the brush around in her hand and changed her method entirely. Asami furrowed her brows, stepping in to cling to Korra again and take ahold of her wrist. She helped her turn the brush over, back into the proper position. "You went back to the way you were doing it. You should—" Her concentration wandered, looking at the squirming woman in her arms. Korra had a wide, crooked grin on her face, and was staring at the hand clutching her fingers. Asami began to turn red, suppressing a giggle. "Are you doing it wrong on purpose just to get me closer?"

Korra worked through a snicker before replying. "Aww, you caught me." Korra rolled her shoulders, pushing backward to snuggle into Asami's arms. She had an unashamed smile on her lips, happily gazing back into the other woman's eyes.

Asami welcomed her, looping her hands more tightly to attach herself to her Avatar. She didn't mind the break in activity for something more intimate. She watched quietly, the edge of her lip curled as Korra turned her direction. Her eyelids started to lower when their lips touched. And they closed completely when Korra leaned into the kiss she initiated.

Both were silent as they shared the extended embrace. Asami so enjoyed the warmth of the other woman in her arms, and the pressure upon her lips. Every kiss they ever shared was like a reminder of their first time. Every lingering touch of lips ignited a flame in her stomach, increasing her heart rate and causing her joints to weaken. She held Korra for a long time, but finally broke the kiss after several long seconds to take a breath of air. Korra trailed slowly off the kiss, peppering several smaller pecks to Asami's chin when they separated. Asami tightened the grip of her fingers, staying as close as she could. She felt the slow rise and fall of Korra's chest under her fingertips, and enjoyed the touch of Korra's breath upon her cheek. She didn't want to ever let go or step away, but her eyes eventually wandered to a blob of green starting to roll down Korra's hand. She refocused her attention, blinking at the paint dripping from the brush and across Korra's arm. She curled her lips into a smile, giggling. "Korra, you're making a mess."

"Hnn? No, I, what—?" Korra's head turned away, looking to her outstretched arm holding the brush. She rotated her wrist, pointing the brush downward to keep more of the green paint from staining her hand. "Whoops," she added sheepishly. She stepped away, and Asami let her go. She paced back, watching Korra clean the brush on the side of the paint can and set the instrument down before turning her hand over, inspecting the green paint dripping from it.

Asami shook her head with amusement. "Go wash your hands, Korra." She stepped to one side when Korra turned to move. They exchanged smiles, and Asami pivoted to return to the half-assembled bed. She bent at the waist to crouch, but stopped herself, calling out to Korra before she disappeared through the doorway. "Actually hon, we should get some more paint. I can stay here and finish putting everything together, if you want to run and do that."

Korra halted in the doorway, turning her head and tossing her hair with the motion. "That sounds more like something I can handle. Do you need anything else?"

Asami turned slowly to address the room. She looked out over the sea of newspapers, looking at the bed in progress and the second, untouched collection of pieces intended to be put together into a dresser. Eventually, she elevated a hand to gesture with her index finger. "Yes, we should get a paint roller. This job might take all day otherwise. Make sure you get a tray for it too. And we need two pillows. And a wastebasket." She stopped long enough to observe the blank stare on her Avatar's face, standing in the doorway while shuffling her feet slowly. Asami laughed. "Do you need me to write all that down?"

Korra nodded apologetically. "Yes."

Asami held out a hand, wagging her fingers in Korra's direction. "Can you get me some paper and something to write with, please?" She bent her knees, returning to her spot on the floor to begin piecing the bed together.

"Hang on a second," Korra said from across the room. She hopped out of the doorframe and vanished down the hall.

Asami was left alone for a time, working gradually through the bed assembly. The instructions seemed easy enough, but she could see how Korra might get confused. Many of the pieces were quite similar. One just needed to pay attention to the placement of the pegs and holes. She really should have volunteered to put the furniture together in the first place. She felt bad for putting her Avatar through unnecessary pressure. Especially since it exposed some of the hangups she was feeling about actually adopting a child. She started to chew on her lip, waiting for Korra to return.

And soon enough, she did. Korra turned the corner, bouncing back into the room with a lively hop. Her hands look freshly washed, now occupied by several items. She skidded to Asami's side and leaned down to pass her a pad and brush with ink. "Here."

Asami took everything with a smile. "Thank you, sweetie." She then began to write down the items she listed previously, as well as a few small things she thought of while waiting for Korra. Once she was done, she took the paper and folded it over a couple times to make it smaller and more manageable. As she raised her arm to hand the letter to Korra, she turned her hand over to snag Korra's wrist, preventing her from leaving the room. Korra looked down at her with a sideways expression. Asami had something on her mind she wanted to ask, to clear the air and get everything out in the open. Korra had been wavering in her confidence, and Asami wanted to avoid raising expectations. "Korra, before you go, can I ask you something?"

Korra's wide eyes showed a lot of anxiousness behind them. She took the list from Asami's fingertips, putting it away in her clothing. Afterward, she held her hands behind her back and leaned forward to address Asami more directly. "You can ask me anything. You know that."

Asami stared at Korra, and waited several seconds to see if she intended to sit down, but she was too busy rocking on her toes. Asami sighed, adjusting her position to fold her hands in her lap. "I just want to know, if this all doesn't work out—if we end up deciding not to adopt. If we wasted all this time building this room." Asami turned, surveying the room briefly. "If we don't adopt, what will happen?"

Korra stopped rocking on her feet. She slowed to a stand-still, pulling her legs together. She unwrapped her arms from behind her back and crossed them slowly along the middle of her chest. She twisted her lips in consideration, her eyes wandering as she worked through her thoughts. "Well, honestly, I would be sad. I'm not one hundred percent yet, but I'm still pretty sure I want to do this. It's a decision for both of us, though." She glanced down for guidance. Korra did have a looming sadness in her eyes. Even if she said she wasn't certain yet, Asami suspected she was. Korra would be heartbroken if Asami didn't agree. She seemed to want this so badly. Asami wished she could see things like Korra did, so they could happily finish the project and then set out for the adoption agency. But things weren't so simple. She nodded to Korra, prompting her to keep going. "But it will have at least been a fun project which hopefully brought us a little closer together."

Asami smiled cheerfully at Korra. She raised a hand, reaching out for Korra's. The other woman's soft fingers danced across her own when their hands touched. Asami squeezed her Avatar's fingers for comfort. "You know I love you."

"And I love you, too," Korra said back.

They let go of each others' hands, and Korra leaned in place. "I'll be back soon. Don't wait up!" Asami turned to watch her love bounce back out of the room and disappear down the hallway. She lingered to listen, waiting for the sounds of activity across the building. Eventually she heard it; the front door opening and shutting, and the faint, distant roar of a vehicle engine starting up and taking off. Asami returned her attention to the task at hand.

Over the course of several minutes, Asami pieced together the entire bed frame. She pushed it to a designated spot in the room and fit it neatly against the wall. Once the frame was in place, she hefted a mattress onto the wooden structure and settled it evenly before collecting sheets and blankets to toss along the top. Once the project looked complete, save for the pillows Korra was out retrieving, she moved on to the next job. She walked to the second pile of parts and pulled instructions free from it. Setting them aside, she meticulously organized all of the parts in an easy-to-access fashion. She quietly assembled shelves to set aside, snapping locking pegs and sliding wheels into place, and was halfway through constructing the new dresser when she was interrupted by a knock echoing down the hall from the front door.

Asami squinted, leaning around the dresser to look toward the vacant doorway, wondering if the knock she heard was genuine. She waited a few seconds before hearing another series of knocks. She twisted her mouth to one side, then pushed herself into a standing position. She shuffled a few of the remaining dresser pieces to the side and started toward the front of the mansion. Her paced only quickened when the knocks came again. She yelled out, "I'm coming!" At times Asami missed having attendants to do things like answer doors, but it was a sacrifice she was happy to make in order to have time alone with her Avatar. She skidded to a stop at the door, turning the lock and pulling it open.

Standing on the porch was a man with slicked-back hair and fiery eyes. He wore a simple black suit with prominent buttons, and was holding a flat box under one arm. His drifting attention turned to the door when it opened, catching a glimpse of a momentarily flustered Asami. "Uhh, hey, Asami," he said, somewhat awkwardly. He elevated his free hand to point at her hair. "I like the bandana."

"Mako," Asami said, surprised. Her eyes then turned upward, remembering the cloth she was using to keep her hair tied back. She blushed. "Oh! I forgot I was wearing this. Thanks. But it's nice to see you. What brings you by?" She leaned her weight to the side, backing into the front area to open the door wider. "Do you want to come in?"

Mako tilted his head, seeming to notice Asami's nervousness. Asami was worried he'd pick up on her troubled thoughts. Trying to work through the doubts of adopting with Korra was hard enough without trying to explain her relationship concerns to their mutual ex-boyfriend, even if they did remain friends. She tried to hide her face as Mako stepped inside, taking a look around. "Thanks. And I was just passing through. I wanted to drop in and say hello to my favorite couple. I'm not sure how long I can stay, though. I'm on call today."

Asami moved around Mako, closing the door before skipping back into the front area to stand in front of him. She felt a lingering sense of awkwardness when he spoke. She always worried that both she and Korra dating Mako previously, and now being together, would be a sore spot for the stoic firebender. But he never gave them any trouble over what had become of their teenage love triangle. She flashed a smile, turning to pace away from the front door and toward the kitchen where they'd have more room to sit and talk. She glanced back to make sure he was following. "That's nice of you. We appreciate having company. Can I make you some tea?" She walked across the open kitchen, picking a couple small cups out of the nearby cabinet after filling a teapot with water. She set it on its base, turning on the boiler.

Asami glanced over her shoulder and saw Mako standing with his hands in his pockets, still holding the box against one side under his arm. He was slowly surveying the room, having not seen it in some time. "I'd like some tea, sure," he said, his eyes eventually drifting back to Asami leaning on the counter. "Oh, I also brought some candies, for you and Korra." He withdrew the box from under his arm, holding it out with both hands. After a pause, he added, "Where is she, anyway?"

"She's out buying some things for the house. She should be back soon." Asami pushed away from the counter, walking to take the gift from his hands. Her green eyes fell on the box, examining it and trying to understand what it was. She turned, placing the candies on the counter and pulling the lid up. She was faced by an assortment of carefully-crafted, sugar-coated purple candies. "What are these, exactly?" she asked, furrowing her brows.

Mako shrugged his shoulders, putting his hands back in his pockets. "Candied sea prunes. I thought you and Korra would like them."

Asami cautiously picked one of the purple candies. She narrowed her eyes at it. All the memories she had of Korra trying to get her to try sea prunes came flooding back. She suddenly felt ill. "Oh,  _gross_ , they make  _candy_  out of these?"

Mako shifted his weight to one foot, leaning while observing Asami inspecting the sweets. "Are they really that bad? I've heard some things, but I just assumed Korra got you used to them by now."

Asami scrunched her nose at the piece of candy. "Well, they're an acquired taste. And let's just say I haven't… acquired it yet." She turned it over in her hand, starting to smirk as she looked across the counter to Mako. "Want to try one with me?"

Mako nervously shuffled his feet. "I really don't." He kept his eyes half-lidded, staring at Asami while she waved a dried piece of sugared fruit. After a few tense seconds, he sighed and held out a hand in defeat, rolling his eyes. "Fine, give it here."

Asami snickered and passed the candy into his palm. She returned to the box, picking one of the smaller ones out for herself. She held it in front of her eyes and examined it. "Okay, on the count of three. Ready? One, two…"

They both popped the candies into their mouths at the same time. Asami watched Mako's face turn into one of horror, and he immediately spat the prune back into his hand. "Yuck! Who  _likes_  these things?"

Asami grimaced when the candy hit her tongue. She worked it slowly across her mouth and against her cheek. The sugar helped to offset the taste of sea prune, and she realized she was gradually becoming desensitized to the flavor through repeated exposure. Though the treat was borderline vile, she was able to stomach it. She pushed the sweet to the other side of her mouth so she could speak. "Korra loves them," she mused.

Mako walked around the kitchen, throwing the candy away and stopping at the sink to wash his hands. Asami giggled to herself, watching Mako act as though his hands were stained by something terrible. Once finished, he turned back around. "So how are you two doing anyway?" he asked.

"We're doing fine," Asami replied casually. Her mind started to wander, but she reeled it back in. She instead focused on the taste of sugared sea prune in her mouth, sucking on the small piece of candy that still remained. "Just… fine."

"You seem distracted," Mako said. He seemed to be observing her perturbed mannerisms closely enough to say something about it. He raised one of his sharp eyebrows, giving her a more discerning gaze.

Asami shrunk under the stare. Her focus drifted away, unable to maintain eye contact. "I just have some things on my mind is all."

"Anything you need to talk about?" he asked.

"I probably shouldn't." She raised her eyes to look at Mako, who was standing with his arms crossed. "It's kind of private," she muttered. But Mako had a way of making her want to be honest and admit her fears. It was no wonder he became a detective with interrogation skills like that. The amber eyes watching her made her anxious. She felt a rush of vulnerability, and jumped at the opportunity to vent to someone. Anyone. She stood up straight, leaning into her words while speaking much louder. "This conversation can't leave this kitchen. Don't say  _anything_  to Korra, okay?" She cast him a warning glare to emphasize the seriousness of her words. "I mean it."

Mako backed up, raising both of his hands defensively in front of himself. "Okay, okay. I won't say anything to Korra." She glared again. "Or anyone else. It's obviously important to you."

Asami sighed, pushing away from her current spot. She walked to the nearby counter, picking up the teapot and starting to pour a cup for each of them. She worked slowly, trying to work through words in her head and stall for time. She walked to Mako's side, handing him one of the cups, then sipped from the second one herself. She cleared her throat, trying to settle down and find her voice. "Korra… Lately she's been wanting to take the next step in our relationship."

Mako raised an eyebrow, looking confused. "Next step? You two are already married. What else is there?" After a short silence, he raised a hand to point at Asami. "Where's your necklace at anyway?"

Asami's eyes went wide, and she lifted a hand to clutch at her neck. Her heart jumped briefly at the realization she wasn't wearing it, but she soon calmed down, remembering that she took it off for a reason. She exhaled slowly. "It's in the other room. I was painting, and—" She stopped herself, shaking her head. She was letting the topic wander too far. She lifted her eyes back to Mako. "Korra thinks we should adopt, and raise a kid together."

Mako was in the middle of drinking from his cup of tea when she answered. He choked briefly on the hot liquid, lowering the cup away from his mouth. She wondered what he must have been thinking. "Oh, uh, that's great news." When he didn't receive an answer, he looked back at Asami. "Isn't it?"

Lowering her shoulders, Asami started pouting. "I don't know. I'm not sure if I want to. Apparently she's been considering it for weeks, and really wants to do it. I haven't decided, but… I don't think I'm ready. I don't know what it's like to raise kids. My mom was only around until I was six, and my dad was always busy. I barely know what having parents is like. And I don't know how good I'd be around kids. I mostly just know Tenzin's kids, and they seem to make Korra happy, but I'm not sure I connect with them the same way she does."

Mako fidgeted uncomfortably, retrospectively looking at his cup of tea. "Yeah, I know how that is. Bolin and I lost our parents at such a young age that I don't really know what it's supposed to feel like. I guess Korra was the lucky one of all of us." He raised a hand to rub the back of his head. "I suppose I can't really give you any advice. You should talk to Bolin instead; ask him about what having kids is like."

A sigh rose from Asami's lips. "I could call him, but I don't know if he could keep a secret. You're the only person I've talked to so far." She raised her eyes to Mako, her eyebrows lifting to show her worried expression. "I want to be supportive of her, but I don't think I want to have kids. I like being able to spend all my free time with Korra, and a child would cut into that. And it would be so much  _work_. Am I being selfish? Or is something else wrong with me?"

Mako started to shrug. "Well, the only thing I—" He was cut off by the sounds of the front door opening. They both quickly looked up.

Asami peeled herself away from the counter, spinning to put her teacup down. "That must be Korra." She halted in mid-step, turning back to stare daggers at Mako, who shied away again. "Not one word to her."

"You got it," he said, holding his hands up in surrender.

Asami spun quickly on her heels, bouncing to the hallway where Korra was about to turn and head back to the room the two had been working on all day. She had a bag full of supplies and items, including a large paint roller sticking out of the top. She teetered when Asami pounced on her, dragging her across the floor with mild protest. "Wait, hey—!" Korra stumbled into the kitchen with Asami latched to her arm, and squinted when kissed cheerfully on the cheek. "Why are we—" She turned her head, catching sight of the other person in the kitchen. Mako raised a hand to issue a reserved greeting. "Mako! When did you get here?" Korra brightened, looking excited to have a friend drop in unexpectedly.

Mako shrugged dismissively. "Not that long ago. I was in the neighborhood." Asami watched Korra make her way to a flat surface, dropping the bag of room supplies. She then broke away and gave Mako a quick hug. Once she stepped back, she moved to Asami's side to lean on her.

Asami smiled when met by Korra's touch. She looped a hand around her waist, tightening her fingers on her clothing. "Mako brought candies too," Asami said, extending her other arm to point.

Korra lifted onto her toes, inspecting the box of sea prunes from where she was. Her eyebrows raised and she suddenly looked excited. She bounded away from Asami's grasp and stood in front of the collection of sweets. "Oh! Are these sea prunes?" she asked rhetorically as she plucked one free of the box and popped it into her mouth. Her expression grew warmer while sucking on the sugared fruit. "They are!"

Asami placed a hand over her mouth to hold in a chuckle. She watched Mako on the other side, making a face at Korra digging in to the candy. Asami still had the aftertaste in her mouth, and Mako probably did too. When Korra stopped to ask if either of them wanted any, Asami found herself speaking at the same time as Mako, though his voice was much louder and more stern. "No!" they both said.

Korra shrugged. "Suit yourselves, more for me." She popped another into her mouth. "Thank you, Mako."

Mako nodded in response. "No problem." His attention then wandered, and Asami flinched when he spoke while eyeing the bag, stuffed with a couple pillows and proudly displaying painting items. "So what's all that for?"

Korra paused her eating, her motions coming to a complete stop. She lifted her head and glanced slowly from Asami to Mako. "Oh, uh, we were painting one of the rooms."

"Yeah? What for?" Mako asked innocently.

Asami clenched her teeth and raised a hand, drawing a line across her throat to try and silence him. But she was too late. His eyes opened wider and he tried to shoot her an apologetic expression. Korra noticed the look and turned to see what Asami was doing. She quickly curled her fingers, pretending to have been rubbing her cheek.

Korra looked perplexed, but she worked through a few words. "Well, it's—we were—" She looked to Asami for help, who found she could only sigh helplessly. Korra watched her for several seconds, as if seeking guidance. Eventually, Asami raised a hand and offered a gentle shrug. Korra looked back at Mako. "Can you keep a secret?"

Asami's heart jumped into her throat, realizing Korra was going to tell Mako about their troubles. She wondered what Korra might say about it. Mako timidly adjusted his stance, placing a hand on the back of his neck. "Uhh, yeah, I can do that." He averted his gaze.

Korra hyped herself up with a quick inhale and exhale. She looked to Asami for support, who nodded. "Asami and I have been thinking about adopting. We haven't told anyone yet, because we haven't decided." She offered Asami a weak smile, and Asami smiled back. "But we've been fixing up one of the rooms just in case."

"Well, that's great," Mako said, pretending to be hearing the news for the first time. He struggled to come up with more to talk about. "I'm sure there are a lot of strong bender kids that would love to have the Avatar as their mother."

"Actually," Korra spoke up, "I was thinking we should adopt a nonbender."

"Really?" Mako asked, suddenly very curious. "Why a nonbender?"

"Why not?" Korra replied, shrugging.

"Yeah, what's wrong with nonbenders?" Asami added. She smirked at the apparent awkwardness that the prodding instilled in Mako. "I'm sure Korra just wants a daughter that won't set the house on fire, or flood it."

"You'd be surprised how often I did that when I was a kid," Korra said with a turn of her head.

"I probably wouldn't," snarked Asami. Both women chuckled.

Mako spoke again, looking self-conscious about being called out. "I didn't mean—" He was stopped by the sound of a crackling voice from his belt. All three turned to look, and Mako reached down to lift a small radio receiver from his side. Asami listened to the muffled and scrambled voice, unable to make out any of the words from where she was. Mako sighed. "Looks like I'm needed elsewhere. Sorry, I have to run."

"It's okay," Korra said with a smile. "Drop by anytime."

"Nice having you, and thank you for the candy," Asami added.

"No problem. Thanks for the tea, Asami. Good luck with… everything." They both watched Mako discard his teacup and jog toward the front door. They waited until he turned the corner, and until after the sound of the door opening and closing. A few seconds passed in silence, leaving the two alone again.

Korra looked across the kitchen, smiling at Asami. "So, daughter?"

Asami turned to catch her gaze. She was confused at first, but started to rewind over the conversation. It dawned on her she used that term when speaking of a possible future child. She blushed at the realization, but she did have to admit, she found it much easier to think of a daughter than a son. "Yeah… I guess that's just what I had in my head."

Korra leaned onto the counter, planting her elbows on the surface and putting her chin in her hands. "So what does she look like?" she asked, curious.

Asami stopped to mull it over. After considering, she pushed away from her spot to approach her Avatar, standing at her side with a hand on her hip. "I'm not sure. I guess they have a lot of different kids from all over. Do you have any preferences?"

Korra narrowed her eyebrows, seeming stumped for a moment. "I guess not. Someone we can both relate to, of course. I'm not picky. I'm sure they're all equally wonderful."

Asami smiled sweetly. She didn't want to stifle Korra's enthusiasm, but she did have to be honest. She wished she could be as into the idea as Korra was. "I'm envious of your optimism."

"I'm just really hoping for this to work out is all," Korra replied.

"Are you ready to get back to work fixing up the room? I'm nearly done with the dresser, and then I can help you paint."

"Let's do it!" Korra said energetically.


	3. On the Line

Asami stopped at the front door, awkwardly shuffling several bags in her hands. Both arms were full of groceries — fruits, vegetables, meats, even some assorted things Korra liked such as seaweed noodles and kale cookies. She leaned to one side, hoisting as much as she could onto one shoulder to reach with her other hand and grasp the doorknob. She turned it slowly, enough to open, then pushed it the rest of the way with her foot. Breathing a sigh of relief, she trudged through the entryway and turned to make her way to the kitchen.

As she neared the kitchen, she heard her Avatar speaking loudly, and Asami briefly wondered if Korra had company over. However, upon entering, she saw that Korra was on the phone, pacing in a slow circle. Korra was never able to stand still during long phone conversations. Asami stopped in the doorway to listen, and realized that Korra was speaking to one of her parents.

“Well, eventually, yes… No, we both enjoyed it last time! It's nice just seeing everyone… I'm not sure right now, but we'll work something out… I know you do! It'll be easier once we have some more free time… Kind of. It's nothing bad though, if that's what you mean. No more huge world threats… I know, but we're both fine…” Korra finally laid eyes on Asami standing in the archway. Asami offered her a smile. “Oh, sorry to cut you off. Asami just walked in with groceries. I gotta go… We will. Love you both… Bye!” Korra turned to hang up the phone, then quickly made her way to Asami. Asami brightened at the assistance offered, shrugging several bags into Korra’s waiting hands. Korra leaned forward and planted a kiss on Asami’s forehead, greeting her with, “Hey, beautiful,” before breaking away and carrying the bags to the open counter space. “Mom says hi, by the way,” she said over her shoulder.

Asami walked to an open space, dropping the remaining bags and starting to sort through them. She picked out a few simple fruits — moon peaches, mangoes, and apples — placing them in a basket sitting on the counter for easy access. She dove back into the bags, continuing to unpack while chatting. “I thought maybe that’s who you were talking to. I hope they’re doing well?”

“They’re doing fine,” Korra said while helping to unload the bags. “Mom was asking when we’d have time to visit again.”

Asami’s idle thoughts turned to ocean and snow. She started to smile, thinking of previous visits. Lots of nice scenery and interesting food. And Korra always seemed to have such a bright outlook when she was at home. Asami liked seeing her like that. And of course, Korra’s parents were wonderful. “I’d love to go,” she began. But her cheer lessened the more she thought about it. “But I guess now isn’t a good time.”

“That’s what I told her. We’re a bit busy right now,” Korra agreed.

Asami clutched her coat with one hand, pausing. She realized at once that Korra could have been talking to her parents for some time, and the topic of the conversation may have had many opportunities to wander into certain subjects. She turned around, blinking in Korra’s direction. “Did you… tell her yet?” she asked timidly.

“No,” Korra responded quickly. She turned to look at Asami, offering her a steadying smile. “We haven’t decided yet, and I want us to be absolutely sure before officially telling anyone.”

Asami sank in place, starting to frown at the words. More and more she was getting the impression that when Korra said they hadn’t decided yet, what she meant was Asami hadn’t decided yet. She slowly turned in place, leaning back into the counter for support. She responded quietly, half-distracted by her thoughts. “That’s probably for the best.”

She didn’t have long to think about it. Korra pushed away from her spot, approaching her. Asami glanced up to see Korra step in front of her, lifting her chin for her attention. The worry on her face drained when she was able to see Korra again up-close. But a slight chill ran through her bones when her Avatar finally spoke. “But I was thinking. Should we call and make an appointment?”

Asami tensed at the words, looking up at her. “Korra, already?” she asked nervously.

Korra cut in swiftly, raising both hands to present her palms in a show of surrender. “It’s non-committal. I looked into it, and—”

“Really?” Asami asked. She was surprised to hear something like that coming from Korra.

Korra was apparently proud of herself for the shock that her revelation caused. “Really, I did! I was trying to follow in your footsteps. You put so much work into researching and planning things. And you came up with the idea of us fixing up the room. I just wanted to be involved too.” She rocked gently in place on her toes, watching Asami’s mood improve. The sweet words did help. “I called, and asked for details. We can go and meet with some of the representatives, and fill out some of the boring paperwork, and you can ask them any questions you want. We don’t have to move forward until we’re both ready. But I thought it would be good to see what we’re up against.”

Asami exhaled slowly, but nodded in agreement. Maybe seeing some of the processes would put her mind at ease about the entire situation. “How soon do you think it would be?” she asked.

Korra shrugged. “Well, I asked about it, and they all seemed booked for the next week. The one you said you liked is the one I’d try and get an appointment for. If that’s okay with you.” She looked to Asami with a hopeful smile, clearly asking for her approval.

Asami agreed with a nod. “If you want to. And you think you’re ready for that.”

Korra nodded shortly before averting her gaze. She began to shuffle her feet. Asami’s eyes drifted up and down, noticing the sudden change in her behavior, and the obvious nervousness growing inside her. “Yeah, I am. It was weird timing having my parents call today.” She stopped to rub her hands together, and Asami took the prompt to lean closer, placing a hand on Korra’s collar for support. “Last time we visited my parents, Mom said something that’s been bugging me. I don’t even remember what we were talking about, but she said in an off-handed way that she was sad she’d never have any grandchildren to look after.”

Asami stood for a moment, watching the expressions change on Korra’s face. She didn’t like the sorrowful look she was displaying. “I’m sure Senna didn’t mean anything by it, Korra. You know they’ve both been very happy for us.”

“I know,” Korra sighed. “I know it wasn’t intentional, but it felt like she was… blaming me. It made me feel awful, like I was disappointing her as a daughter.”

Asami blinked at Korra’s words. “What do you mean?”

Korra continued, shaking her head sadly. “I’m their only child, and I’ve never known them to talk about having more kids. But now that Mom thinks I’ll never have any children of my own, I think she regrets only having one daughter. It feels like it’s my fault she’ll never have a grandchild like she wants. It’s like I took that away from her.”

Asami leaned closer. She raised the hand from Korra’s chest to her cheek. She tried to lend as much comfort as she could. Her slender fingertips drifted along Korra’s face, trickling slowly into her hair. She tilted forward to rest Korra’s forehead against her own. “Is this why you’ve had this on your mind?” she asked softly.

“Maybe some of it,” Korra admitted. “But everything I said about Kuvira was true. I don’t want to see her story repeated.”

Asami pressed her, trying to pull Korra’s mind off her mother and Kuvira. “You know, if we do this, it can’t be for them. It has to be because it’s what you want, not what they want.”

Korra moved, drawing one of her hands up to meet Asami’s cheek. Asami felt the other woman’s fingers upon her. Korra’s hands felt cold, and Asami had to consciously not shy away from the touch. She listened to the reasoned response of her Avatar. “It needs to be what we both want.”

Asami closed her eyes for a moment, her breath elevating. She felt the color starting to drain from her face. She knew Korra was right. And she appreciated so much that her wife was waiting for her approval. She knew it had to be something they did together. Korra said as much, several times in fact. But the words were just starting to sink in. “You’re right,” she replied breathlessly.

Korra held her closely. And Asami began to calm when Korra closed the distance between them to initiate a kiss. Her eyes already closed, Asami just leaned into the contact and welcomed the touch of her Avatar’s lips. She let a shiver run down her spine, releasing some of the tension that had been knotting up inside. Eventually though, Korra drew back, and Asami released a hushed gasp. Korra began to peel away, offering Asami a contented smile. “Are there more groceries in the car?” she asked.

Asami relaxed once again, drawing away from Korra and settling on her own two feet. Her head felt numb from the rush of mixed emotions, leaving her unsure of how to feel. She nodded. “Yes, a couple bags. Thank you.” She took several slow, deep breaths while watching Korra turn and leave the kitchen to finish the task of bringing in the food to be put away. Asami knew she should be helping, but she could only lean back into the counter, placing a hand on her forehead in thought.

She was realizing more and more just how very invested Korra was. Asami wanted so much to be supportive, but she still couldn’t be certain she wanted the added responsibility. Given her wavering emotional state in the last few days, she doubted she was ready, emotionally, to raise a child, and worried she never would be. As her eyes tightened, she began to think briefly about her father’s death, and how since then she’d come to rely on Korra for all the stability in her life. Sharing that with someone new might be difficult. And if something threatened that stability…

She shook her head, her thoughts entering more of a downward spiral. She lingered, too, on being unsure of the concept of adoption. She hated to admit it to herself, but she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to open up to an adopted child. But those thoughts were fleeting. She quickly latched onto Korra, and how much she opened up to her. Just how close they grew during their time in the Spirit World. She was reminded of the initial uncertainty of starting a new, unknown journey together, exploring a new relationship. The idea of trying something new was sounding much less frightening, as long as she was able to hold Korra’s hand along the way. She exhaled heavily, releasing some of her doubts and worries.

She snapped back to reality when Korra returned with her arms full. Asami turned around and resumed putting things away. Though her mood had turned flat and dull from worrying so much, she finally smiled when Korra approached her side and blew her a kiss. Korra placed the extra bags on the counter and then ran a hand through Asami’s raven-black hair. She lingered only for a moment, apparently having other things on her mind. “Is it okay if I go ahead and call? Or do you need help putting everything away?”

Asami smiled at Korra. “I’ve got it, hon. Go ahead and call.” She watched Korra prance away to the phone on the other side of the kitchen. Asami shook her head with amusement, returning to the task of putting groceries away.

Asami’s attention wandered in and out, but she caught bits and pieces of Korra’s side of the conversation behind her. “Yes, hello. I wanted to see about making an appointment to come in and talk with someone… Korra… Yes, as in Avatar Korra… No it's not a joke, it's—I'm serious! I spoke with someone a few days ago… Okay… That sounds right, yes… We were just thinking of adopting a nonbender. Is that unusual?”

Asami looked over her shoulder for a moment, watching Korra walking in a circle while holding the phone against her cheek. Asami chuckled quietly at the conversation drifting off into what kind of child to adopt. She continued to put food away, putting freshly-bought meats and fish in the cold storage, and sorting through several containers of cheap noodles; the kind Korra liked. Behind her, Korra continued to talk.

“Well, we both have a few questions we'd like to ask… Oh, sorry. Asami Sato… Wife… Yes… I guess a lot of people have… Oh, thank you! We appreciate it… Yes, we can do that too… Really? Today?”

Asami tensed suddenly, squeezing a container of lychee juice she was in the process of putting away. Her eyes grew wide and she turned her head to look back at Korra. Today? Was Korra saying they’d be going today? She dropped the bottle onto the counter as her heart started racing. She watched Korra apprehensively, listening to the end of the conversation.

“Okay… That sounds great! We'll be right down… Yes, we can make it… No, thank you!” Korra turned in an animated fashion, hanging up the phone and spinning to greet Asami. She had a wide grin across her face, her eyes lit up with excitement. She stepped in closer, practically scooping Asami up and pulling her into a hug. Asami was still stunned, and the squeeze forced the breath out of her. Her head was spinning, and she barely heard what Korra was saying. “The lady said they had a cancellation, so we should put the rest of this away quickly.”

Asami recoiled to take a breath. She batted her green eyes at her Avatar. Her face was blank, at a loss for how to feel. “Korra, are you sure?” she whispered.

Korra smiled encouragingly. She stepped back and reached down to take both of Asami’s hands in her own. Asami’s eyes fell, watching the stronger woman grasp her fingers and squeeze them to offer her attention and support. “Don’t worry, we’re just going to be asking questions and filling out basic paperwork to get it out of the way.”

Asami nodded slowly. “O-okay,” she stuttered. She returned to the task, putting the juice bottle away. Korra moved around her like a blur, quickly putting several items into cabinets. Asami slowly peeled herself from the counter and turned away, letting Korra finish the job. She turned on her feet, distractedly drifting out of the kitchen and through the front door. She walked out across the courtyard and to where she kept her primary car parked. She stopped beside it, crossing her arms tightly against her chest as she started shaking.

She stood alone for several minutes, collecting herself and regulating her breath. Eventually, she turned when she heard someone approaching. Her eyes caught sight of Korra walking closer. And she relaxed the muscles in her body when Korra embraced her from behind. “Are you okay, babe? I looked around and realized you disappeared.” Korra’s eyebrows were elevated. She had a strong concern displayed on her face. Asami realized she was putting a lot of pressure on her love today.

“I’m fine,” Asami said, forcing a smile. She turned her eyes away, looking to the nearby car. “I’m ready to go if you are. Do you mind driving?”

Korra stood for a while, just looking at Asami. Asami tried to smile again. She could easily read the worry and concern on Korra’s face, and she imagined that Korra could see the insecurities surfacing on hers. But she also knew they needed to be somewhere, and apparently soon by Korra’s previous urgency. She waited for Korra to move on. “Sure, sweetie.”

She stepped around the Satomobile, easing into the passenger side. She closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of Korra settling in and starting the engine. She expected to lose herself in her thoughts, but instead she just found a dull silence in her head. Once the car was in motion, she leaned on the door and stared off into the distance.

She watched trees and buildings speed by. It all seemed like a blur of featureless nonsense. She couldn’t concentrate on it, or on the wind blowing through her hair. And the only thing keeping her from being panicked was the fact that there was nothing on the line. She wouldn’t have to make a decision yet. And maybe being able to ask a few questions would soothe her troubled mind.

She started to wonder if she was any closer to making a decision. She never did get to voice all of her concerns to Mako. She still worried she was being selfish, but she had to be honest with herself about being hesitant. She couldn’t commit to anything that she didn’t genuinely believe in. Especially something that would dramatically change both their lives. In truth, maybe she wasn’t any closer to figuring it out, and that scared her.

The car came to a complete stop. The forward tug from Korra parking pulled Asami into the moment. She looked around, setting eyes on the large, intimidating stone building. She felt tiny in front of it. It was too large for her to rightfully approach. And the weight of the decision they’d be making began to push down on her, making her stomach sink. She started to breathe faster, and she could feel her heart pounding loudly in her chest.

When Korra walked around to her side of the car, she could only blink up at the blue-eyed woman, unable to move. Korra’s cheerful expression dissolved quickly upon seeing the look on Asami’s face. “Asami, what’s the matter?” she asked, concerned.

“I don’t think I can do this,” Asami whimpered. She shuddered, pulling her shoulders in close to her body. “I’m not ready.”

Korra leaned down closer, placing a hand on Asami’s shoulder. It helped to steady her, but there was nothing more to debate. She couldn’t do it. Not now. Korra responded in her usual kindhearted voice, “I’m sorry, honey.” Even now, Korra felt the need to apologize. But it wasn’t her fault. None of it had ever been Korra’s fault.

“No, it’s me,” Asami protested. “You’ve been thinking about this for weeks. I’ve only had a couple days. I can’t make such an important decision without having time to think about it.”

Korra sighed. “No, we’re both to blame. I’ve been pushing you. I wanted you to make a decision because… I just wanted to know I could stop worrying. I didn’t mean for us to come today. But it was either today or a week from now. It’s my fault for going too fast.”

Asami reached up to take Korra’s hand. She squeezed it between both of her own, gazing up into her Avatar’s worn-out eyes. The last few days had been so hard on both of them. “I want to be supportive. I really do. But this is a big step for us. I need more time.”

“Do you want to go back home?” Korra asked softly.

“Yes,” admitted Asami. She lowered her head and her eyes. “Please. I’m sorry.”

Korra leaned over the car door and embraced her. Asami raised both hands, clutching Korra’s strong, protective arms. She felt the hint of tears forming along the edges of her eyelids, but she was able to hold them in for now. She appreciated Korra’s attentiveness, and enjoyed the fact that her Avatar was willing to hold her for so long, until she calmed down. She patted Korra’s shoulder to let her know she could let go. And once Korra stepped back, she stopped to rub the droplets of water from under Asami’s eyes for her. Asami smiled at the sweet gesture. “Are you going to be okay?” Korra asked.

Asami nodded, leaning back into the seat. “Yeah. I’ll be fine.” She relaxed, watching Korra move back around the car and start it back up again. Asami closed her eyes with a pent-up sigh, wanting to clear her mind and not have to think about anything for the ride back.

The return trip was quiet, giving Asami time to unwind. Once the vehicle stopped outside the mansion, she had more energy with which to hop free of the car and walk with Korra. Asami forgot all about the stress of the trip and the decisions not yet made. She let her mind wander to enjoying Korra’s company instead. She even took the brief opportunity to hold hands, and couldn’t stop smiling at her love as they walked together to the front door.

Korra broke away, however, once they reached the door. The sound of a ringing bell was coming from inside the house. The look on Korra’s face turned to worry, and she swiftly pulled the door open. Asami walked behind her, more slowly, watching Korra bolt to the phone and pick it up. Asami stopped nearby, leaning on the corner of the wall to listen.

Korra grabbed the phone, nearly out of breath as she spoke. “Hello… This is Korra, yes… Y-yes, we did… No, we—we won't be able to make it today… I know, it's just—” Her face took on a pained expression. She stepped backward and leaned against the corner of the wall. She became completely still, huddled against the hard surface.

Asami watched, holding her breath. She didn’t like the way Korra was sinking into the spot on the wall. And she didn’t like the look of worry and desperation in Korra’s eyes. She realized at once what the person on the other end was saying. Even if it was short notice, Korra made an appointment. And not showing up must have sent a very bad impression.

“Yes! Yes, we are… I'm so sorry, but a personal matter came up. We need to reschedule… Please…”

Asami raised a hand to her face, clapping it across her mouth. The tone of Korra’s voice broke her heart. She realized what was at stake, and the results of her actions. The same emotions from earlier came flooding back. The guilt of being unable to decide, and the apparent consequences of that. She started to tremble, seeing what it reduced Korra to. She was barely holding on by a thread. And it was Asami’s fault.

“Please, you have to give us another chance…”

Asami tightened her eyes almost completely shut, turning sharply on her feet. She kept her mouth closed with her hand to hold everything in. Bolting quickly away from the kitchen, she moved toward the room she shared with Korra. She could barely see through cracked eyelids, pouring tears, but she had to remove herself from the situation. She ran to the door and moved inside, collapsing onto the bed. Falling on her side and curling up on herself, she was no longer able to keep from crying her eyes out.

She sobbed for what felt like several minutes. She couldn’t stop herself now. And in a way she welcomed the chance to simply release everything that had been tormenting her in the last few days. But she knew it was all her own fault; her own inability to commit and stop being selfish. She just wanted Korra to be happy. And seeing how hurt Korra was when faced with having everything taken away, she realized how much it meant to her.

When she heard the door opening, she lifted her head to look. She sniffled from her spot on the bed, able to make out Korra approaching her. She didn’t move to meet her, not feeling as though she deserved to, but she knew Korra would embrace her regardless. And she did. Asami leaned into the arms closing around her middle, laying her head against the crook of Korra’s neck. She tried to stifle her sniffles and be braver for her Avatar’s sake. However much she was going through, it had to be much worse for Korra. But the other woman felt calm in her arms. Korra was more put-together than she was.

Korra held Asami close to her chest. For a time, she let her cry, and get everything out. Asami began to calm down when Korra started to weave fingers into her long, dark hair and pull it away from her face. Asami sighed heavily, sniffling on Korra’s shoulder. The stronger woman squeezed her tight before speaking in a comforting tone. “It’s okay now.”

Asami began to sit up, pulling herself away from the hug. She raised both hands, rubbing under her eyes to clear her cheeks of tears. “What happened with the call?” she asked cautiously.

Korra smiled. “I convinced the lady to give us another chance.”

Asami leaned into Korra again, squeezing her shoulders with both hands. “I’m glad. I was worried I messed up everything for us.” She shook her head, ashamed at herself. “I’m so sorry if I hurt you.”

“It’s okay. I’m just sorry for going too fast,” Korra said apologetically. Again, Korra was willing to shoulder some of the blame.

Asami couldn’t let Korra blame herself. “It’s just—it took us a long time.” She sat up straight, pulling her legs in close and resting her hands in her lap. She blinked her reddened eyes up at Korra, looking intently at her wife’s charming features. “It took me a while to come around and realize how I felt about you. Of course, I had three years to think it over, but by the time you came back, I understood. I knew… exactly… what I wanted. I almost couldn’t wait for you to catch up to me, but you finally did.” She stopped for a moment, offering a sheepish smile. “So I guess I understand what it’s like to be somewhere, waiting for your soulmate to come to the same place. I just need more time.”

Korra reached forward with both hands, taking Asami’s fingers in her own. She nodded her approval, smiling happily at the retelling of the earliest parts of their relationship. “Don’t worry. I’ll wait for you, like you waited for me.”

Asami squeezed both of Korra’s hands. “I love you, sweetie.” She took a moment to settle her nerves with a slow exhale. “So what do we do about the adoption agency?”

Korra shrugged dismissively. “I told them we’d call when we’re ready. No more rushing. The next time we move forward, it should be when you’re sure. I want you to call, but only when you’ve decided.” Asami started to open her mouth to speak, but Korra interrupted. “And if you decide that you don’t want to adopt, that’s still fine too. I just want to know.”

Asami smiled widely, nodding in agreement. “We’ll get there.”

“We will,” Korra said brightly.


	4. Family Name

Asami stared wide-eyed at the large building she had found so overpowering two weeks prior. At the time, she was so distracted by stress that she didn't have the chance to actually appreciate it. It was interesting enough that it survived the wide scale destruction from Kuvira's attack so many years ago, but it did sit on the outskirts of where most of the damage was concentrated. The building looked old, primarily consisting of historical Earth Kingdom architecture, as evidenced by the stone walls and wide archways. But there were lingering traces of Fire Nation influence as well — very typical of Republic City structures of that era — mostly concentrated in the roof shape and design. As the car came to a stop, Asami surveyed the open courtyard, smiling at the four flags emphasizing each element, and the large center flag representing the United Republic. With a fresh look, there was something calming and welcoming about the layout. She liked how it seemed to bring all the different cultures together in one place.

Asami turned her head to look across at Korra, who parked the Satomobile and quickly stepped out. Asami reached for her own door handle, finding Korra already on her side, opening the door for her. Asami glanced up, reflecting Korra's contagious grin with a smile of her own. She dropped both feet to the ground and stood clear of the vehicle, then leaned into her wife to embrace her. They held each other for a long time, just enjoying the contact.

She had made herself clear to Korra beforehand, of course. Asami still wasn't completely certain about wanting to adopt. But they had a long discussion about how she felt like she had hit a wall, and couldn't decide without more information. Maybe if they went through the steps and found out what would be expected of them, she could reach a conclusion based on the new information. She was no longer scared of the idea of being exposed to the system and its processes. At this point, she was more curious than anything.

Asami found herself full of energy, a refreshing change of pace from the last two weeks. She looked past Korra and up at the interesting building once again. The last time she saw it, she wasn't ready for what it held inside. But this time she was there on her own terms, and she wanted to see and explore. She felt like a kid again. Standing in front of it now, she was glad she made the appointment.

When the embrace broke, Korra leaned away, but caught both of Asami's hands in her own. Their gazes locked, and Asami couldn't help but smile widely. Her heart was racing in anticipation of what was ahead of them, and this time she was prepared for it. "Are you ready?" she asked.

"Am I ready?" Korra repeated with a chuckle. "I'm excited, but also nervous. What about you?"

"I think I'm ready, yes. I want to see how this plays out," said Asami.

Korra raised their hands together, squeezing in a show of support and reassurance. "We can do this. No big stuff today. We're just testing the waters."

"Just testing the waters," Asami agreed. She returned the squeeze, then released Korra from her grip. She took a heavy breath to combat her unsteady nerves, and Korra did the same thing. Asami turned, facing the building to extend a hand in gesture. "Shall we go, then?"

Korra waved both arms in an expressive manner. "Ladies first." Korra had a childlike grin on her face, showing just how happy she was to be at the building and working through this stage of their relationship together.

Asami chuckled at her wife, but took the cue and stepped toward the building. She stopped to hold the door for Korra, then entered the main hallway. The room was overly large and kept very clean. She stopped near the front desk, staring up at the ceiling and around the room to take in all the details. A few maps and schedules were on one wall, with another proudly displaying pictures drawn by young children. There were a few chairs along one wall for individuals who were waiting, though no others were there now.

Asami allowed Korra to take the lead, following her to a pair of receptionists sitting behind a wide, sterile-looking desk environment. Both looked up to greet the couple, and Asami fell in line behind Korra, who moved quickly to speak to one of the two women. Asami caught a glance from the second woman, who looked to be offering to talk to her separately. While Korra introduced herself, Asami tried to mouth to the second woman that she was with Korra and didn't need assistance of her own. The receptionist understood well enough to nod and return to paperwork, so Asami just slipped her hands into her pockets and hovered over Korra's shoulder.

"Do you have an appointment?" the first receptionist was asking. She was a thin, smaller woman, obviously younger than either of the two of them. She had on a neat pair of glasses and her hair was tied back into a bun. Asami wondered briefly if this was the same woman either of them talked to on the phone. The lady she made the appointment with was very nice, but she got the impression whoever Korra spoke to about missing their first appointment wasn't as kind.

"Yes, Korra S—" Korra interrupted herself, changing directions suddenly. "Actually, it's probably under Asami Sato, isn't it? You made the phone call." Korra turned her head to look back at Asami. Asami smiled at her, nodding in response.

The woman behind the desk flipped through a few folders resting in her workspace before lifting one to open. "I have it here, Korra and Asami Sato." The woman scanned from one paragraph to the next, turning pages until she suddenly froze. Her eyes went wide and she looked up at the two of them. "Oh—! You're the Avatar!" she said with abrupt surprise.

Korra leaned back from the desk, a sheepish smile on her face. She quickly nodded. "That's me," she agreed.

"I can't take you anywhere, can I?" Asami asked jokingly.

"You didn't realize that already?" the second receptionist asked of the first. She was an older woman, not as impressed by the revelation, and much more flat in tone. She raised a hand to point at Asami. "She's also with the CEO of Future Industries if you didn't notice."

"Oh! I guess I didn't," the younger woman said bashfully. She tried for a moment to hide her face, looking down at the paperwork in front of her. "I should've realized by your last name."

"Looks like I can't take you anywhere, either," Korra said over her shoulder. Asami giggled.

"We really should have managers handle applications like this," the receptionist mumbled nervously to herself.

"We aren't looking for any special treatment," Korra said sincerely. "We just wanted to fill out what we could and ask a few questions." Korra was growing more fidgety as the conversation went on. Asami watched her shift her weight from one foot to the other, and lean into the desk with both hands.

"Yes, ma'am," the receptionist replied quickly. She turned the folder over and reached for something to write with. "Let me just fill out a few quick questions and I'll find someone for you to speak with."

Asami watched from behind with an expanding smile on her lips. The young girl was out of sorts at this point, struggling to do her job after realizing who the two of them were. They did get that sort of reaction occasionally. The behavior reminded her of Bolin.

The woman stopped to write, whispering to herself about already having their names down. Eventually though, she glanced up to address the two of them. "Oh, I need this. Your ages?"

Korra pointed to herself, then at Asami. "Thirty-three and thirty-four."

The girl's attention focused more on Korra next, after writing down the response. "And your profession?"

Korra furrowed her brow for a moment. "Um, Avatar, I guess?" she answered with a shrug. The reply made Asami smirk. It was hard to imagine Avatar being a profession, but Korra did make it work. Hopefully it would look good on an application.

"And you both currently live in Republic City?" the woman behind the desk asked.

"Yes. You know, I'm surprised more of this information about me isn't common knowledge," Korra added. Asami leaned closer, pinching her side to try and get her to be nice. Korra squirmed from the touch, restraining a laugh and flashing her blue eyes back at Asami.

The receptionist looked embarrassed by the comment. "I'm sorry, ma'am, we ask the same questions of everyone." She closed the folder and attached it to a clipboard. Her hand elevated it into the air in front of Korra. "If you'd like to fill out the rest of it in the meantime, I can go retrieve someone to interview you both. Once we process everything, we can contact you and give you an opportunity to meet some of the children."

Korra reached down to lift the clipboard, nodding appreciatively. "Thanks." After taking the pad, Korra rotated to hand it off to Asami. She didn't even stop to consider it. She just seemed to be of the opinion that Asami should be the one to fill it out.

Asami didn't mind. She knew her handwriting was more legible than Korra's, and she was more than happy to fill out any technical questions. She took the clipboard, turning to approach one of the nearby chairs. As she walked, she flipped through the pages and pages of questions, eventually elevating her eyebrows at just how much they were being asked to fill in. "Wow, I didn't realize this would be so in-depth," she thought aloud. She turned around and sat, soon after joined by Korra at her side.

"What all is there?" Korra asked curiously. Once seated, she leaned over Asami's shoulder to eye the paperwork in Asami's lap.

"There's a lot, actually," Asami replied. She looked over the pages, repeating some of what she was reading. "Why we're looking to adopt, what we do in our spare time for hobbies, if we have any animals, what kind of an education we'll be seeking." She turned the pages. "These entire three pages are roleplay questions about what we'd do in different situations. What we'd do if the child won't eat the food we cook, what to say if they threatened to run away from home, how we'd handle them not responding to punishment." She blinked as she flipped more pages. "There's a whole section on our own lives and how we grew up and what relationships we had with our parents." She took a breath, placing a hand on her forehead. "Most of this I've never thought about before."

Korra reached across a page, pointing with one finger. "Is that seriously a question about our sex life?" she asked, sounding embarrassed.

Asami felt equally unsure about the question. "Well, it's in a section about us," she explained. "How we deal with conflict and how long we've been together. I… suppose it's another way of gauging how healthy our relationship is."

Korra withdrew from the paperwork to rest in her seat again. "I guess so," she said in a smaller voice. Korra grew quiet, and Asami realized they were feeling the same way. Spilling their entire lives onto paper for someone to judge felt very impersonal and invasive. "It's a good thing we're doing this now, that way we can get it out of the way and concentrate on something less stressful next time."

Asami turned the pages back to the front, looking at less intimidating questions about family history. She sighed. "It might take me hours to fill all this out," she complained. She wasn't even sure if the comment was hyperbole.

Korra leaned into Asami's shoulder with a light bump. She tilted her head, gently nuzzling into Asami's cheek to help relax her. "Just answer what you're comfortable with for now, and we can discuss the rest of it later."

Asami beamed at her wife's tender touch and the thoughtfulness of her suggestion. She turned enough to plant a kiss on the side of her Avatar's head. "Okay," she whispered.

The two sat in silence for a while, with Korra cuddled into Asami's shoulder. Korra just watched with curious blue eyes, reading the questions to herself and seeing everything Asami was writing in the blank sections. Asami skipped over several difficult or long questions, filling out everything she was sure they wouldn't disagree on. And while Korra watched it all, she never voiced any protests.

After several minutes of work, a man approached the two of them. He was fairly tall and slender, wearing a formal green outfit with a gold trim. He stopped to speak. "Avatar Korra?" he asked, glancing over a clipboard of his own. Asami stopped what she was doing and sat up.

Korra sat up as well, reaching down to straighten her clothing and try to look more proper. The short time laying against Asami seemed to make her somewhat drowsy, and she didn't look keen on making a bad impression. She looked up at the newcomer intently. "Yes sir, that's me. But please, it's just Korra."

The man smiled wide, leaning forward to offer a hand. Korra took it, shaking. He seemed very excited. "Yes, of course. It's wonderful to finally meet you. My name is Ling, and I'll be overseeing your adoption process." His amber eyes turned to look at Asami. "And you must be Asami. We don't usually have applicants this high-profile. You'll have to excuse me."

Asami snickered at the man's chipper attitude. Korra was grinning ear to ear. "We're just a normal couple trying to get information about adopting," Korra said modestly.

"Of course," Ling said. "We have a remarkable facility here. I think you'll find we have a lot of very talented young benders, who—"

Korra interrupted. "Actually, I was hoping to adopt a nonbender, if that's okay."

"Really?" Ling asked, apparently taken off-guard.

Korra turned to look at Asami with a perplexed expression. "Why does everyone keep reacting like that?" Asami could only smile, shrugging in response. She didn't have an answer either, but it was a curious observation.

The man leaned forward, tipping his head and bowing respectfully. "My apologies, Korra. I didn't mean to assume. Most who adopt look for children with abilities similar to their own. With you being the Avatar, I naturally thought you'd be looking for a strong bender to raise."

Korra smiled sweetly. "That makes sense. But it's not really a factor for me. I don't want to judge anyone based on their bending talents. I'm hoping to find someone who stands on their own as a person."

Asami felt her cheeks glowing, listening to Korra as she spoke. She never stopped to ask why Korra seemed to prefer a nonbender child. She assumed her Avatar had her reasons, or even didn't need a reason at all. But as she explained herself, Asami was curious if any of those words were directed at her. She had always secretly wondered about the difference in their abilities, and if it ever bothered Korra that she was a nonbender. But the topic had never come up in all the years they were together. Korra never looked down on her or anyone else for their natural abilities, or lack thereof. Korra didn't look at her as a nonbender, just as a person, and a friend, and eventually as a lover and a wife. Asami leaned closer, reaching out to clasp Korra's hand in her own. She felt Korra's hand wrap tightly around her fingers, and she stopped to appreciate the gentle smile on Korra's lips.

Ling brightened at Korra's words. He looked down at his clipboard and jotted down a few notes. "Well, I'm happy to hear you say that. You're every bit as insightful and compassionate as I've heard. I think something like that will look good on your application."

"Just being honest," Korra said kindly.

Still writing on the pad, the interviewer looked up over his notes to speak again. "As long as we're on the subject, do you have any other preferences or requests?"

Korra turned to look at Asami. They shared a smile, squeezing each other's hands again. Asami gave Korra a nod, prompting her to continue. Korra looked up. "Just that we were hoping for a daughter."

"I think we can do that," Ling said. He turned, folding his notes under an arm. He then dipped low, leaning in Asami's direction. "Is it okay if I steal her from you for a while? I'd like to speak with Korra first, and afterward I can interview you."

Asami giggled, biting her lip to stifle her amusement. "Yes, that's fine. I have more paperwork to fill out anyway." She leaned to the side, kissing Korra on her neck. "Good luck, sweetie. I'll be here when you're done."

Korra turned to Asami. The two bumped noses, rubbing them in a brief show of affection. Korra didn't linger too long, though. She had somewhere to be, and Asami let her go with a small wave of her fingers. She smiled while her Avatar stood and followed the interviewer down the hall and to a door at the end. She watched Korra laughing at a comment he made, glad to see the two were already getting along. Hopefully a good sign.

Once silence set back in again, Asami returned to her clipboard. She crossed her legs and folded the paperwork into her lap. She scanned the page for simple questions and things she could answer without too much difficulty.

_Describe your reasons for wanting to adopt._

Asami stared at the question for a long time. It seemed strange to read. Her mind started to wander, and she thought about how Korra might fill it out.  _Because we're both women and when we try to do it ourselves, nothing happens._  She restrained a chuckling snort, then cleared her throat, trying to be more serious with the application. She furrowed her brow at the question, tapping the pen on the side of the clipboard. Korra's primary reason was just wanting to share the love the two had with someone who was in need. Korra got along with children well, and seemed like she'd make a wonderfully loving mother.

But Asami's own reasons for wanting to adopt? She didn't know. She wasn't convinced she'd be a good parent. She barely knew what having a mother was like. That was no doubt something she'd have to write about in another section about her relationship with her own parents. She couldn't write that she just wanted to support Korra on the blank lines. But what could she say? She'd have to come back to the question later after talking to Korra. She moved on to the next one.

_How long have you and your partner been together?_

That one was easy. She carefully wrote the answer into the blank space:  _twelve years._  She included the date when they made things official. She smiled to herself, recalling their first kiss. The one she still thought of every time she leaned into Korra's lips and closed her eyes. A dozen years of that had been incredible, and she was hoping for dozens more.

She hoped the answer would be good enough for whoever would be judging the application. She thought for a moment to add the three years they were apart, during which time she was longing for Korra to return to tell her how she felt. But that would be dishonest. It did sound like a long time, though. Fifteen years in total. Almost half her life. She sighed dreamily at the realization, feeling a slight tingle working its way through her body. In a short time it would be half her life, and then it would be more. She bit her lip as a flutter of excitement flowed through her system. She elevated a hand, brushing her hair back while advancing to the next question.

_How long have you and your spouse been married (if applicable)?_

Another easy question. Asami lowered the pen to the page, adding the date in the allotted space. The question made her remember the entire experience. The clumsy proposal, the ceremony, the honeymoon. She clearly remembered helping Korra try to pick out a dress, and then watched her give up and decide to wear a suit instead, only to be disappointed with the suits she found and go back to a dress. Korra had always been adorably awkward.

Recalling that awkwardness brought her to the item that tied them together. She moved both hands to the back of her neck, carefully unfastening the choker she wore and peeled it free. She turned it over in one hand, examining the carved stone in the middle. It brought a smile to her face. Korra took her to the South Pole to visit her parents, and they stayed for an unusual month-long vacation. Not that Asami didn't enjoy spending time with Korra's parents, and playing in the snow, but she didn't know at the time that Korra was spending all her waking hours trying to learn how to make a proper betrothal necklace from her father. Apparently it was quite an ordeal. Korra's presentation came with a red-faced apology in which she went on and on about how it wasn't exactly traditional but she didn't know what else to do, and about how the necklace still needed work. But she emphasized that she tried very hard. Asami couldn't get her to stop talking until she simply interrupted her with a kiss and told her the necklace was perfect the way it was.

Asami hummed at the memory. Maybe they did have a few rough spots, but she always enjoyed the genuine effort they both put into making things work. Korra had her flaws, as did she, but Asami never viewed her wife as anything but perfect, just like the charming necklace. Asami didn't know fifteen years ago that her friendship with Korra could get any better, but once they began a relationship together, it did. And she didn't know that her life was missing anything until Korra proposed, and brought something new to their lives. Asami started to smile, wondering if this next step would improve things just as much as the other major changes had.

Asami sat up, raising the choker to snap it back into place around her neck. Her eyes drifted back to the sheet again. The bottom of the page had a simple section explaining that part of the adoption process allowed for the transfer of last name to the child to be adopted, if desired. She stared at the explanation and the blank space below it.

_Child's information: First name __________ Last name __________._

She lingered on the second part for a long time.  _Last name._  It gave her pause, and made her realize she never stopped to think about passing on her family name. She suddenly felt apprehensive. The idea of adopting a daughter was growing on her, but passing on her name? Was she ready for that? Ready to have a family with Korra?

She inhaled slowly as she thought it over. Since her father died, she had no family left. Only Korra. And over time, she began to think of Korra as her only remaining family. It was true that Asami was accepted by Korra's parents as an extension of their family. But the Sato family only had two members: Korra and Asami. She halted for a moment, taking another deep breath. She tried to regulate her breathing, and felt it start to shake in her chest until it was released as a shuddering whimper. She closed her eyes, raising a hand to her face to hold her head as tears began to stain her cheeks. She thought long about what extending her name to someone else would mean. It was hers to give, and it would be nice to have someone else in her life, and to have someone else carrying the Sato name. To really start a new family of her own with Korra. She sniffled, thinking about the big, empty mansion they shared. It had plenty of rooms that could be filled. A bedroom, a play area, a child's study room — so many possibilities. Her heart sank as she wiped tears from under her eyes, looking back down at the paperwork. She lowered her hand to the blank space, shakily filling in the last name:  _Sato._

Asami lowered the pen and breathed a heavy sigh. Filling out the paperwork was much harder than she expected. She leaned her head back against the wall, closing her eyes to try and relax in silence. She tried instead to concentrate on the good. They'd be starting something amazing together, and she was starting to realize how much she was looking forward to it.

She opened her eyes to the sound of footsteps approaching. She sat up and looked forward, down the hall. Korra was returning from her interview, followed by Ling. Asami looked more closely, picking up a gleeful expression. Korra had a slight bounce in her step, quickly closing the distance to kiss Asami on the forehead. Asami chuckled, looking up at her wife. "How'd it go?"

"I think it went well," Korra said in a slightly hushed voice. Her eyes moved to the side, gesturing over her shoulder, where Ling was approaching from. "It was simple. Just a lot of personal questions. He asked about our financial situation, and I said you helped build the city, so, we have a few yuans laying around."

Asami laughed. "I'll give him a more specific answer."

The interviewer walked closer, stopping beside the two of them. He held his clipboard in one hand, his pen hovering just off the page, ready to write. "Mrs. Sato?" he asked.

Asami spoke up, but found herself answering at the same time as Korra. Her wife turned to look back at the man, and they both spoke at once. "Yes?" They briefly exchanged glances, and then started giggling.

The cute moment mildly flustered the employee. He chuckled along with their laughter, his cheeks looking slightly red. He cleared his throat. "My apologies. I meant, Mrs. Asami Sato. Would you like to come back for your interview?"

Asami blinked her wide green eyes at Korra, who gave her an encouraging nod. She turned and glanced up at the man. She felt an anxious flutter in her chest. A desire to push forward and dive into something new and exciting. She nodded quickly. "Yes. I think I'm ready."

 


	5. Reflections

Asami gazed wistfully at the large building, for the third time. She was ready to approach it, but it wasn't yet time. She and Korra had been idling in the car for the last hour, and even now they were half an hour from their actual appointment time. They were both so eager to get out of the house in the morning, arriving with plenty of time to kill, even after stopping twice for breakfast and then a mid-morning tea.

Sometime during their time spent chatting, the two migrated to the wide-open back seat so they'd have room to curl up together. Asami had stretched out with her arms folded on the side of the door, looking at the building, while Korra wrapped both arms around Asami's middle, resting on her back. Asami enjoyed the embrace for the longest time, feeling Korra's weight on her shoulder, but after such a long passage of time she was fairly certain Korra had actually fallen asleep. Asami tried not to move too much so as not to disturb her wife's nap.

She didn't blame Korra for being tired. Neither one of them got much sleep the night before. Both from staying up later than they intended, and waking up earlier than usual. The previous night had been delightfully exciting, however. The memory of it sent a momentary chill through Asami's spine. After leaving the adoption agency for the day, Korra took the wheel again while Asami continued to fill out paperwork. When it became clear they'd need more time to fill in all the blanks than the drive home would allow, Korra took a detour, eventually parking on a scenic hill overlooking a part of the city.

Asami made a joke about the two of them spending time alone in the car on a starlit night, but they both seemed to have a mutual reaction to the entire adoption process. They both felt full of energy, Korra even commenting that the ordeal left her feeling young again, a sentiment which Asami agreed with. Even if it seemed like something they might do had they gone on a date as teenagers, they both enjoyed the privacy and the view. They talked for a long time about their thoughts on adopting, and how they were currently feeling about the experience. Asami admitted her hangups about passing on her last name, and her eventual decision to do so. Korra asked if Asami was ready to adopt, and she revealed that she finally was.

After working through some of their previous snags, they moved on, and Asami handed the clipboard to Korra in order to take a mental break from the pages of questions. Korra worked dutifully while Asami relaxed, reclining in the passenger seat to stare up at the sky full of stars.

Her unfocused gaze up at the night sky only broke when Korra reached across the car to place a hand on her thigh to get her attention. "So how are we going to answer this question?" Korra asked.

Asami turned to look at her wife in the driver's seat, holding the clipboard in one hand. Asami tilted her head curiously. "Which one?"

Korra waved the collection of papers up and down. Her voice was quieter, much more apprehensive than normal. She almost seemed shy about asking. "The one about our sex life. We have to answer it at some point."

Asami stretched her inquisitive expression into a wide smirk. She leaned toward Korra, giving her shoulder a pinch. "I guess I'd say it's normal?" she offered helpfully.

"Yeah, I guess," Korra said hesitantly. She turned the clipboard to look at the page. "There's a lot of blank space, though. I'm not sure what they're expecting us to write. I mean, obviously we aren't going to go into detail, but—"

"What makes you think they don't want all the details?" Asami teased. She held out a hand, running her fingertips across Korra's cheek in an attempt to fluster her. It seemed silly, but the energy they were both feeling, and the cute "date" situation they found themselves in, brought out Asami's adventurous side. She pushed away from her seat and leaned closer, waiting for Korra to turn her head and respond.

Korra's blue eyes came back around, and she spoke again. "I really doubt they'd—they—" When Korra tried to protest, Asami leaned over the center console and interrupted her with a kiss. Korra froze for a moment, but melted under Asami's insistence. Asami laced all of her fingers into Korra's short hair to hold her. And when she felt Korra's tongue against her lips, Asami broke away to gasp sharply. Teenage adrenaline fueled her responses, and she pushed free of her seat to climb across the car, into Korra's lap. She straddled Korra's waist and reclaimed her lips more eagerly. Korra's fingers slipped free of the application, dropping it loudly on the floorboard. When Korra's hands wrapped around her, Asami was already clutching Korra's shirt, pulling on it.

Gradually, Asami's mind began to draft back from the events of the previous night. She blinked at the large adoption agency as a few fleeting thoughts passed her by. Thinking back on it now, Asami was actually surprised to learn that there was enough space in the car for two people to sit in the driver's seat and still be able to move around. But it hadn't been a wholly comfortable situation for either of them. In retrospect, she wondered if she should have suggested they move to the back seat. Or if it would be a good idea to get a more padded car. Once the morning came, both of them found a few joints to be aching. Even now, lounging in the back seat with Korra asleep on her shoulder, she felt a slight pain in her lower back. She tried to stretch, but a drooling Korra impeded her movement. Chuckling to herself, she raised a hand to tap a couple fingers on Korra's face. "Wake up, sweetie."

Korra squinted her eyes in protest of the digits drumming her cheek. But the sun shining in her eyes and the ambient noise of traffic in the background seemed to make her realize she should be awake. She started to sit up and pull away from Asami's shoulder. She blinked the drowsiness from her eyes, yawning. "Did I fall asleep?" she asked, oblivious. "When's the appointment?"

Asami turned in place to pat Korra on the head and smile at her. "We're still early, but we can probably go inside now. You ready to go?"

"I guess so," Korra said. She withdrew, sitting on her knees in the seat while rubbing the corners of her eyes with an index finger. "We did finish all the paperwork, right?"

Asami nodded. "Yes. Between what you filled out last night and what we did this morning over breakfast, it's all there. All that's left is to talk to a few kids and fill their information in when we decide."

Looking more awake now, Korra blinked her blue eyes at Asami. She leaned forward, bumping noses with her. "I guess we're really close now, aren't we?" she asked in a whisper.

"Yeah," Asami replied, smiling. "I guess we are."

"Are you scared?" Korra asked. She raised a hand to cradle Asami's chin in her palm. Her eyes lifted to watch Asami's face, seemingly trying to read her reaction.

"I've been scared this whole time," admitted Asami. "But I'm not going to let that stop us. I'm more interested in moving on than I am in being scared."

Korra started to smile, slowly adopting her usual crooked grin. "Me too." She sat up and looked around for a moment before returning her eyes to Asami. "Should we go then?"

Asami raised both hands, planting them on Korra's head. She worked her fingertips through the short brown locks, trying to straighten it as much as she could. It had migrated into something of a mess from the short nap. Once Korra looked presentable enough, Asami gave a short nod. "Okay, let's go."

Both stepped from the car, walking hand-in-hand to the front archway to enter the building. Asami carried the clipboard with her other arm, and upon arrival she presented it to one of the receptionists up front, who quickly hopped up to find the representative they spoke to yesterday. Once the woman disappeared down a hallway, Korra started to fidget nervously. A minute passed, and she soon transitioned into conversation to keep from bouncing off the walls. "So how do you think the interview process will work?"

Asami leaned against a nearby surface, crossing her arms while thinking. She never stopped to consider it before, and it wasn't one of the things she found while researching. "I'm not sure," she said honestly. She elevated a hand, resting it under her chin. "I suppose they could have us talk to a few of the kids one-on-one based on what we're looking for. But our criteria is fairly large, I think. It might take us a while to do that."

"Maybe they'd allow us to meet several kids at once?" Korra offered, shrugging with one hand.

"I hope we don't end up feeling pressured to pay attention to certain kids in a room full of children competing to be noticed."

"That would be awful," Korra agreed. "Do you think we'll get a lot of time with each kid?"

"I guess we'll find out soon enough," Asami said. She caught sight of a familiar face walking down the hall in their direction. Ling, the interviewer from the day before. He looked as chipper as he had the last time. Asami pointed to bring his approach to Korra's attention. Korra turned around to meet him with a smile.

Ling approached the two of them, stopping to issue a short bow. "Korra, Asami, nice to see you both again. How are you feeling today?" he asked sincerely.

Asami started to answer, but Korra cut in first. "We're both kind of tired, actually."

Asami hummed, expanding on the thought without going into much detail. "We weren't able to get much sleep last night."

Ling nodded. "That's pretty common of expecting parents around here. Nerves, you know. Don't worry, we won't hold it against you. It's a good sign, if anything." He turned in place and began to walk back down the hall. He waved a hand for the both of them to follow. Asami pushed off from her spot and moved along behind the man. Korra soon did the same.

Once they were in motion, Asami increased her pace to catch up with Ling. "Do you need our paperwork? We finally finished it."

"You can hold onto it for now. You'll want to fill in a name if you find a child you're happy with." Ling continued down the hallway, taking the three of them through a large door and into a more open area. The new area was different from anywhere Asami had seen of the building thus far. It had wide halls and a lot of creative decoration. Asami caught sight of what looked like a classroom to one side, but only saw a glimpse before it was out of sight.

Korra spoke as they walked. "About that, how do you usually do interviews with the children? Do we interact with several of them at once?"

"We're flexible on that," Ling said matter-of-factly. "A lot of couples give us a few things they're looking for and we try to set them up with children who suit those preferences, and let them talk to the kids one at a time. But we do have a lot of parents who are more comfortable just meeting kids around the building, or sitting in a classroom with them until they bond with someone. We try not to put too much pressure on the kids and make them feel like they're being interviewed."

Asami liked the sound of that. She thought of a few quick questions to ask, mostly curious about demographics and other information, but she saw Korra's attention wandering. Their trip around the building took them past a large open window. Through the glass, Asami could see a number of small children outside playing. The middle of the building was cut out, with the sky open, creating a playground area. Korra's attention was on the open yard, and she slowed to a stop, placing a hand on the window and staring outside. Asami turned and stood at her wife's side. "Are these all the kids?" Korra asked in a quiet tone.

"Some of them," Ling said from behind them. He continued, expanding on the answer and giving more information than Asami knew Korra needed. "Some of the others would be at lunch or being read to in the library. This section of the building is where we have the kids aged one to five. The older ones are in another wing."

Korra didn't seem to hear most of the response. She was just watching, eyes wide, her palm resting on the glass. "Can I go outside and meet them?" she asked, breathless. Asami smiled to herself, leaning against Korra's shoulder. Korra was so caught up in the moment. It was adorable, but at the same time it made Asami feel warm inside just seeing the wonder on Korra's face.

"If you'd like to, yes," said Ling.

Korra pushed away from the window, full of energy. She moved around the curved surface until she reached a door, quickly pulling it open. Asami walked along behind her, with Ling following in back. Asami stopped near the wall, watching as Korra crossed through the open yard, dodging a few running kids, eventually stopping close to the middle. She stood awkwardly in the center and crossed her arms. She turned in a slow circle, her eyes watching different children all over. Some playing, some running, some sitting and talking, others being tended to by adults. Korra simply stood for a long time, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She had a frown on her face, apparently unsure of where to start.

Asami sighed, speaking mostly to herself. "She looks lost. I'm sure this is overwhelming for her. Can you give us a moment?"

Ling smiled, offering a short nod. "I understand. I'll be around the corner in my office if you need me or have any questions. We also have employees all over who would be glad to assist. Take as long as you need." He gave a slight bow before turning and stepping back through the doorway and into the building proper.

Once she was by herself again, Asami turned her eyes to watch Korra. She was standing alone, going through different stages of anxiousness. She bit her lip, rubbed her arm, and shuffled her feet. Asami wanted to give her time to work things out for herself, but it didn't seem to be happening. Korra needed a little push. Asami stepped away from her spot near the wall, walking to approach her Avatar. She slowly leaned into Korra from behind, wrapping both arms around her waist to tug her into a tight embrace, mindful of the clipboard she was still carrying. Korra sighed, raising both hands to clasp Asami's arms. When Korra closed her eyes, Asami tried to coax her out of her shell. "What do you think?"

Korra shook her head slowly, looking and sounding defeated. "They all seem so nice. But I don't know where to start or what to say. I'm not sure what I should be doing."

Asami leaned forward, planting a kiss on Korra's neck. "Don't overthink it. Maybe just approach and say hello."

Korra nodded slowly, turning her head and looking across the open playground. After a few seconds, she seemed to catch sight of one particular child. She pulled gently away from Asami, and Asami released her fingers to let her go. Asami watched Korra walk across the area, approaching a young girl sitting alone. Asami followed, but stayed at a distance. She hovered several steps away, folding the application paperwork against her stomach.

The young girl Korra approached looked about four or five at a glance. She had a darker skin tone, close to Korra's, and dark brown hair. Her hairstyle was somewhat messy, with bangs hanging in her face and a long ponytail in back. Her eyes were a very bright blue, even lighter than Korra's. It was clear to Asami that the child was of Water Tribe ancestry. The girl was seated by a bucket of colorful blocks, piecing them together into more interesting shapes. Asami watched the girl for a few seconds. The girl reached out into the collection of bricks, digging through the large variety offered to her until she found the specific piece she was looking for, turning to add it purposefully to her creation.

Asami observed for a while longer. The girl was sitting by herself, distracted and uninterested in anything else going on around her. Even as Korra moved near and stood beside her, the girl didn't pay her any attention. She seemed much more interested in what she was building. Asami started to wonder if she was playing alone because she wanted to, or for some other reason. Asami felt a small pressure in her chest, starting to feel sorry for the lonely-looking girl entertaining herself with blocks.

Korra took another step closer, bending her knees to lean down closer to the girl. Asami watched her from several paces away, allowing Korra to work through these early interactions herself. Korra offered the girl a smile. "Hey, sweetie," she said in a tender voice. "Can I sit with you for a while?"

The young girl stopped what she was doing. She lifted her head, blinking with mild confusion at being interrupted. Her wide, light blue eyes raised to look at Korra as if she didn't know what was going on or why she was being addressed. But after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, the girl responded. "Okay." She had a quiet, inattentive voice. She also seemed very short-spoken. As soon as she answered the question, she returned to her blocks and continued to fit them together.

Korra smiled. She dropped her weight to the ground, lowering to sit down. She folded her hands in her lap and pulled her feet in closer. Her shoulders rolled and she slumped into a more comfortable and relaxed position, keeping her eyes on the Water Tribe girl. "What's your name?" she asked.

The girl responded without looking up, instead paying attention to her task. She snapped two bricks together before returning to the box to find more. "Tomiko."

"Tomiko," Korra repeated slowly. From behind, Asami bit her lip, smiling at the way Korra was soaking up every little piece of the conversation. Korra nodded. "That's a cute name. My name is Korra. It's nice to meet you, Tomiko."

"Uh huh," the young girl said shortly, again without looking up.

"Do you get to talk to a lot of different adults?" Korra asked. Asami wondered if she was trying to see just how many people showed interest in the young Tomiko.

"Just teacher, and the helpers," Tomiko said simply. Asami frowned at the answer. It seemed to confirm that Tomiko wasn't any more popular with hopeful parents than she was with the other kids.

"Really?" Korra asked. Her voice remained upbeat, and she stopped to pull her legs in close to herself, smiling at the young girl. "What are your classes like?"

"Teacher reads us a lot of books," Tomiko said. She continued to work on the blocks. "And we draw."

"Oh yeah? What do you like to draw?" Korra asked. Asami smiled more widely, focusing her attention on her wife. The actual conversation started to drift into the background. Instead, Asami just watched the look on Korra's face. She looked very happy just talking to the girl. Asami felt a growing warmth in her chest from observing the interaction. Korra seemed genuinely interested in everything Tomiko was saying, and was curious to learn more about her.

Asami wasn't overly surprised at the outcome, but it was nice to watch it unfold. Korra had always seemed good around the airbender kids, when they were younger. Asami occasionally wondered if Korra's close bond with Tenzin's kids was a result of spending so much time around them, or if she simply got along with children in general. Watching her talk to Tomiko answered that question. Korra was being caring and motherly, and Asami was starting to appreciate just how much she liked seeing Korra act that way. She could easily get used to it.

Asami's attention drifted back into the conversation in the middle of the two having a more amusing discussion. Korra had managed to capture Tomiko's attention, and they were having a debate. Korra laughed. "No, really. I can earthbend too."

"You can't do that," Tomiko insisted. "You only get one!"

"I can," Korra said with a grin. "I'm the Avatar. See?" Korra held out her hands, waving them parallel to the dirt below. She elevated a few small stones from the ground, raising them into her palm. She rotated them in a tight circle, drawing them into a central point to compress into a round ball. She reached outward, handing the completed object to Tomiko.

Tomiko reached out to take the stone sphere, examining it for a second. "That was a trick!" she exclaimed, starting to brighten up. She smiled for the first time, and Asami felt her heart melting at the display. Tomiko pointed at Korra with one hand. "Do water now."

Korra raised her eyebrows, pausing to look around for a moment. She eventually turned back around, sheepishly placing a hand on her head. "Well, I don't have any water with me right now, so—"

"You can't do it!" Tomiko shouted. She and Korra both started laughing.

Asami held a hand over her mouth, holding in a giggle. Her mind wandered again as the two resumed their discussion about whether or not Korra was only pretending to bend the other elements. In such a short time, Korra got the girl to open up and start smiling and laughing. Korra did seem to have that impact on people. But it was delightful watching her bond with a child like that. She hummed thoughtfully, wondering if the future would be full of moments just like this one.

Asami's eyes blinked when she realized Korra was turned and waving at her. Her wife was trying to get her attention. Asami blushed, ducking her head apologetically for becoming lost in thought. She walked closer to Korra, who was gesturing for her to approach. She stopped, standing at Korra's side with her eyes cast down at the two of them on the ground. She raised one hand, wiggling her fingers in a shy wave.

Korra smiled up at her before looking back to Tomiko. "Tomiko, I'd like you to meet someone very special to me. This is Asami, my wife."

Tomiko glanced up at Asami from her spot on the ground. She had the remnants of a smile still on her face. "Hello. You're very pretty."

Asami gave a short, appreciative nod of her head, bowing to the compliment. "Thank you…" She then paused, realizing she wasn't sure how to continue. She awkwardly searched for something to say. "So, your name is Tomiko."

"Uh huh."

Asami rubbed the sole of one of her boots on the ground. She wasn't connecting with the girl the same way Korra was, and Tomiko was beginning to lose interest. It was a miserable feeling. But when the girl looked back down at the collection of blocks, Asami found an opportunity. She bent her knees, kneeling close to the ground and looking at the colorful bricks more closely. "What are you making there?" Asami asked.

Tomiko's cyan eyes blinked, glancing down at her creation. She held it up for Asami to see, presenting it with both hands. "It's a car. I made the fastest one in the world."

Asami smiled. "I can see that. It's very nice." Asami exchanged a brief glance at Korra, who just nodded in her direction. Korra seemed to be giving Asami the same chance to get to know Tomiko that she had, without interruptions.

"Yeah, 'cause I made it," Tomiko agreed. The declaration made both Korra and Asami laugh, but Asami found it amusing how proud the girl was of her accomplishment. Tomiko didn't seem to understand how what she said was funny. Instead, she changed the topic, now actually being curious about Asami herself. "Do you bend things too?" she asked. "I can't."

Asami shook her head. "No, I don't. I do build cars though, just like you." Asami watched the girl's eyes light up at the revelation. While Asami had her interest, she offered a little more. "Have you ever heard of a Satomobile? I make those."

Tomiko stared at Asami for a long time. She squinted and curled her mouth to one side, working through the spoken words before finally reaching a conclusion. "Nuh uh!" she spouted back, causing Asami to laugh again.

"Well, it's okay if you don't believe me right now," Asami said, shrugging gently. She turned her eyes back to the object Tomiko built. "Do you play cars with the other kids?" she asked curiously.

"No," the girl said quickly. "I don't like them."

"How come?" Korra asked, rejoining the conversation. Asami looked across to her wife for a moment, then back to Tomiko. Asami's heart sank a little learning that the young girl didn't interact with the other kids.

"They're dumb," Tomiko insisted.

Korra tilted her head, continuing to prod. "Why do you say that?"

"They play different games, and don't talk to me."

Asami went quiet. She started to recoil slightly, curling closer to herself and tightening her fingers on the edge of the clipboard. She bit her lip to keep from making any sounds. Listening to the girl talk was bringing back memories of her own that she didn't like. She was beginning to pick up a sense of loneliness from the young girl, and for a moment it made her very uncomfortable.

Korra continued to try and lend what help she could. "So, it's just you, most of the time?"

"Uh huh." Tomiko returned to her blocks as the conversation went on.

"Maybe you could invite them to play with you," Korra offered.

"I don't know how."

"Well, what if you—" Korra stopped, sitting up when Asami pushed to her feet to stand. Asami clapped a hand over her mouth, turning quickly to move away. She made her way toward the door they had entered by, excusing herself to find a place away from the children. Behind her, she briefly heard Korra speaking a few words to Tomiko. "Wait here just a moment, sweetie."

Asami turned the corner after entering the hallway. She moved out of sight of the glass window, finding a pillar to lean on. She turned around, pressing her back to it. She held her face with her hand, shaking slightly from the tears rolling down her cheeks. She clenched her eyes tight to try and ward them off. Once again, the stress of the last few days had gotten to her.

She looked up to the sound of approaching footsteps. Sniffling quietly, she raised the hand from her mouth to wipe the tears free of her face before Korra arrived. She raised her head, looking up at the comforting blue eyes when her Avatar stopped in front of her and extended an arm to pull Asami into a hug. "Are you okay, babe?" asked Korra.

"I'm not upset," Asami said shortly. Still, she appreciated the offered comfort, tightening herself on Korra's chest. "I'm actually glad. I'm just… realizing why I want to do this."

"Really?" Korra asked. The quiet comment urged Asami to continue. Korra wanted to hear everything.

"I don't want anyone to feel like I did. Listening to her talk about it just being her. About not having any friends." Asami stopped to take a breath, trying to regain her composure. "It reminded me of myself, when I was younger. My dad was always so busy…" She trailed off, trying to unload too much at once, and becoming lost in her delivery.

Korra tightened her embrace, winding a few fingers into Asami's raven-black hair. "I know it must have been hard for you."

Asami nodded weakly. "I felt so very alone for a long time. Until I met Mako, and the rest of you. I was so used to being by myself, which I didn't like because I knew it was unhealthy." She took another careful breath, sniffling. Her voice lowered as she continued. "You know, if I didn't have pictures, I think I might have forgotten what she looked like."

"You mean your mother?" Korra asked perceptively.

"Yes," said Asami, almost choking on the word. "I wish so much that I could have known her. I hate that she was taken away from me." She rarely felt the strength to expose her vulnerabilities concerning her mother. Even held by Korra's strong arms, she was trembling at the thought. But the prospect of being a mother to someone else faced with a similar situation made her unravel.

"That's part of why I want to do this," Korra said reassuringly. "I know I can help someone else from feeling the same way. We both can."

Asami pushed gently against Korra's shoulders, leaning back enough to look into her loving eyes. "You've been everything to me for so long, Korra. And I didn't know if there was room in my heart for anyone else." She exhaled slowly to collect herself. She raised both hands, cupping Korra's cheeks in her palms. "But I'm certain now that there is."

Korra shook faintly under the touch of Asami's hands and the weight of her words. Korra, too, was displaying her emotions. Asami pushed her thumbs inward to brush away the tears that were starting to run down Korra's face. Korra let out a shaky sigh. "You make me so happy, Asami. I love you. So much."

Asami tilted her head, resting her forehead against Korra. "I love you too," she whispered. She closed her eyes, waiting for several long seconds for Korra to work through her tears. Once Korra calmed down again, Asami flashed her a smile. "Are you ready to do this?"

"Yeah," Korra breathed. Her head turned, looking off in the direction they entered from. "I think she's the one, don't you?"

Asami moved her right hand, giving Korra a playfully light smack on her cheek. "She acts just like I imagine you did at that age. Proud of herself, and maybe a bit of a brat."

"I won't deny that," Korra said with a faint smile. Korra then slowly peeled herself away from Asami. She unwrapped both arms and turned to take a few steps away, toward the glass window. She stopped at the corner, leaning on the wall to cross her arms.

Asami followed, looking over Korra's shoulder. From the corner, she could see little Tomiko outside, having gone back to playing with blocks. Asami could barely make out the fact that she was now starting on a new project, having put the "car" aside, moving on to something else. Asami sighed quietly. "She's also not very good at making friends, is she?"

"No, she's not. She's going to need a lot of guidance from both of us." Korra turned her head, and the two exchanged warm smiles. Korra moved on to a more positive note. "She likes to build things."

"I can help her with that," Asami posited. "We can both help her, with so many things." She leaned into Korra's shoulder, squeezing it with one hand. "And you're sure she's the one? We did only interact with one child…" Even as she said it, Asami knew that she personally connected with Tomiko and was just as sure about the decision as Korra was. There was no need to even ask.

"No, I'm sure. She's perfect." Korra turned to Asami, inviting a kiss.

Asami obliged, tilting into her wife to share a brief click of lips. She tried not to linger too long, though. She stood up straight once again, giving Korra a gentle push. "Go on. I need to find Ling."

Korra nodded, easing away from the wall and making her way down the hall again. She walked around the curved window, finding the door and heading back outside. Asami waited long enough to see her Avatar returning to Tomiko's side. The young girl looked to greet her with a smile, and Korra reached down to pat the girl on the head, ruffling her hair.

Asami forced herself to break away, realizing she could stand and watch the interaction for hours, but she had somewhere else to be. She turned the opposite direction, walking swiftly down the hall. She passed several doors, reading each one, until she found one with the name she was looking for. She stepped to the door, raising a hand to rap her knuckles against it.

"Come in," a male voice said from inside. Asami pushed against the knob, turning it to open the door. She leaned inside, catching sight of Ling sitting at a desk, viewing paperwork. When she came into view, he looked up, smiling. "Ah, Mrs. Sato. Did you have some questions for me?" he asked in a helpful voice.

Asami stepped closer, moving to the front of the desk. She unfolded the clipboard and held it out in front of herself. "Actually, I think we're ready to offer our paperwork for review. We've made a decision."

"Oh?" the man asked. He sat up, his eyes turning to the paperwork Asami was holding. "May I see?"

"Yes, sir," Asami said, nearly out of breath. "I just need to finish one last thing." She held the pad against one arm, plucking the pen from the top to write. She scanned the page, looking for the correct section. She looked over the blank spaces for first and last names of the child to be adopted, with the last name already filled in from the previous day. She lowered the pen to finish the application.  _Tomiko_.

_Tomiko Sato._


	6. Tomiko Sato

Asami yawned loudly. She raised a hand to cover her mouth after the fact, realizing just how slow her reaction time had become. She blinked slowly, feeling lingering tears of sleepiness in the corners of her eyes. Her head felt heavy and blurry. She probably wouldn't be able to get any more work done, and she imagined she was only a few minutes from falling asleep at her desk. Her eyes fell to the paperwork laid out in front of her, forgetting what she was even working on. She'd have to finish it in the morning.

She dropped her pen onto the table and elevated a hand to the small glasses she had perched on the bridge of her nose. Sometime in the last couple of years, Asami realized that working long hours drawing and writing small things on small paper was a lot easier with a visual aid. A certain someone recently started calling them "work glasses," which Asami begrudgingly accepted. At least she didn't need to wear them all the time. She pinched the center of the frame and lifted the lenses from her face, setting them down on the flat surface of the desk.

Asami turned in her swivel chair, stretching her arms and legs out. She arched her back to work out a few kinks, groaning as she worked some of the tension out of her joints. Her eyes wandered lazily to a nearby clock, and she huffed at herself for how late she had managed to stay up. She began to reach for the nearby lamp to put it out when she heard a noise coming from the hallway. She paused and looked up, eyes snapping wide to look through the open door. She held her breath, waiting to catch the sound again, or a glimpse of movement. Whatever it was, it made her blood pump nervously.

Through the door came a silhouette of a small person. The figure walked slowly, dragging a fluffy shape across the floor. Asami exhaled slowly, relaxing once she realized who was moving around in the hallway. The tiny person turned to stand in the doorway, lifting the fluffy shape — a plush buffalo yak — and hugging it. A pair of cyan eyes blinked in Asami's direction. "Mommy?" a quiet voice asked.

"Yes, honey," Asami said warmly. She leaned forward in her chair, extending both of her arms to invite her daughter closer. "What are you doing up at this hour?" she asked, even though she was fairly certain she knew the answer already.

Tomiko looked very tired, rubbing one of her eyes. The young girl walked across the room and into Asami's arms, allowing herself to be held for a few seconds. She settled back into a standing position in front of Asami after being released, looking up at her with tired eyes. "I had a bad dream," she said plainly.

Asami sat back in her chair to relax again. Almost as soon as she moved, Tomiko's small hand raised toward her. Asami took the cue, giving the girl a tug to pull her onto the chair and into her lap. Tomiko turned around to sit, and Asami looped both hands around her to lend whatever comfort she could. Tomiko sat simply, plopping the buffalo yak into her lap to squeeze. Asami smiled at Tomiko's apparent contentment, but wanted to set her daughter's mind at ease. "Your mom has bad dreams too sometimes. But you know they aren't real. You don't have to be afraid."

Tomiko raised the plush toy, bouncing it idly to play with it. She seemed more awake now, now that they started having a conversation. "I know. I'm not scared now," she said matter-of-factly.

Asami nodded slowly, relieved to hear that. She lowered her head to plant a small kiss on the top of Tomiko's messy-haired head. "So what was your dream about?" she asked curiously.

"Big scary spirit monsters," Tomiko explained. "But Mom said most spirits are nice."

"They tend to be," Asami agreed. With Korra, she had seen a lot of the Spirit World, on a few separate occasions. Eventually she came to understand spirits much better, and in hindsight wished she had treated them with more respect earlier in her life. Hopefully at least Tomiko would have a better understanding of the world around her. "As long as you stay positive, they're usually helpful and friendly. And if you keep working on your meditation, it'll be even easier to connect with them."

"Meditation is boooooooring," Tomiko complained. She began to fidget distractedly, kicking her short legs over the edge of the chair. She turned her head, looking around, eventually laying eyes on the project Asami had been working on. "What are you doing?" she asked, pointing.

Asami blinked, looking up at the surface to survey the sketch and collection of notes. "Oh, just work stuff. I've been working on a new car. I was going to build a few models tomorrow if you want to help me."

Tomiko looked up at Asami, starting to grin at the proposition. "Okay."

Asami smiled in response. Tomiko was always very interested in whatever new task Asami was working on. The girl still loved building things. While Asami imagined that having a child would keep her from working as much, having Tomiko around actually helped fuel her imagination and spark her interest. Even if she had less actual time, she felt far more productive in the time she did have. She moved to pat her daughter on the head. "But right now it's late. We should both get some sleep. You want me to tuck you in?"

Tomiko squirmed, moving her arms to embrace the small plush toy. She spoke in a quiet and bashful tone. "I don't want to sleep by myself."

Asami tilted her head, but continued to smile. "You aren't by yourself. You have Mister Mochi." She lowered a hand, poking the buffalo yak on its button nose. The reply made Tomiko giggle. Asami chuckled quietly as well, always brightened by seeing her daughter in a good mood. "But you can sleep in our bed tonight if you want to."

Tomiko hugged her toy tighter, nodding quietly in response to the offer.

Asami pushed forward in the chair. She wrapped both arms around Tomiko to lift her, hefting her weight down to the floor. Afterward, she pushed to stand as well, stopping to stretch and feel a few pops along her back. Her eyes fell to watch Tomiko bouncing in place. Asami envied her youth, but interacting with Tomiko did make her feel more energetic and mischievous. She lowered a hand for her daughter to take. "Come on, let's go wake up your mom."

Tomiko reached up to take her mother's hand. Asami leaned to the side, putting out the flame lamp lighting the room. She started to walk through the dimly-lit mansion, allowing her eyes to adjust to the change in illumination, and making sure not to lead Tomiko into any obstacles such as dolls or toy cars that may have been discarded in the hallways. She walked a few doors down with her daughter in-hand, reaching the bedroom she shared with Korra. She reached outward to open the door, letting in some of the soft moonlight reflecting from the hallway.

Once the door opened, Tomiko broke away from Asami's hand and bounded into the room. Asami walked swiftly across the floor, passing her daughter climbing onto the end of the bed to pull on the curtains overlooking the bed, letting in more faint blue light. She turned back around to see Tomiko bouncing on the sheets, clumsily colliding with a sleeping Korra.

Asami's wife was curled up on her side, tangled haphazardly in the sheets. When crashed into, she groaned and began to stir. She wiggled her nose, drawing in a strong breath through her nose while reaching out to stretch with both arms. She turned to one side and sat up, blinking unfocused eyes to look between Tomiko in the bed and Asami standing off to one side. "Mmh? What's going on—?" Korra asked, her voice heavy from sleep.

Asami twirled her weight, leaning back to sit down beside Korra. She leaned into her, wrapping her arms around Korra's shoulders. "Miko couldn't sleep, and I'm done with work for the night, so here we are."

Korra inhaled again through her nose to clear her senses. But she seemed to pick up on a few key words. Her attention turned to Tomiko, and she bent forward to scoop her up. She drew the young girl into her arms, pulling her into her chest to hug her tenderly. "Hey, baby. Were you having bad dreams? How are you feeling?"

Tomiko fidgeted when embraced, but settled into Korra's lap to sit down. She raised her small hands, clinging to Korra's strong arms. "I'm okay now."

Korra closed her eyes, letting out a sigh of relief. She relaxed visibly, settling down after learning that Tomiko was okay. "I'm glad."

Asami sat forward after watching the brief exchange. She raised a hand to comb her nails across the top of Korra's head as a show of affection. Asami enjoyed the silent feedback she got, seeing her wife squirm under the contact, raising her shoulders, and developing goosebumps all along her skin. Asami's attention wandered though, seeing Tomiko reaching out from Korra's hug in the direction of her buffalo yak toy. Korra was more on the ball, however, unwrapping her arms from their daughter to pick up the plush and hand it to Tomiko so she could squeeze it.

Asami leaned back, yawning quietly into her palm. "Are we all ready to go to sleep now?" she asked.

Korra began to nod, but Tomiko shook her head and quickly protested. "No, I want to hear a story."

Korra started to deflate, her face taking on a briefly exasperated expression. But she recovered quickly, patting Tomiko on the top of her head. "Okay," she agreed. "You want us to get one of your books?"

"We've read all the ones you have," Asami mused. "We'll have to go and pick out some new ones this week."

Tomiko bounced in place on the bed, eventually settling down and plopping Mister Mochi into her lap. "I want to hear one of Mom's stories."

"Really?" Korra asked sheepishly. She placed a hand on the side of her head, scratching her cheek with a bemused expression. "You've heard all of them a hundred times by now. You aren't tired of hearing them yet?"

"No," Tomiko said, smiling widely. "Tell me again."

Korra hummed, leaning back in place. Her eyes wandered, and she curled her lips to one side while thinking. "Okay, how about the one about Kuvira and the giant robot?"

Asami turned to ease her weight into Korra's back. She looped both hands around her Avatar, resting her chin on Korra's shoulder. "Oh, I like how that one ends," she teased. Korra caught her smile and returned it, lifting a hand to pat Asami's cheek affectionately.

"Nuh uh," Tomiko protested. She raised one hand, holding the plush buffalo yak and flailing it in the air. "Tell me the one about the big evil spirit monster guy. And you grew real big and punched him and saved the whole world." She flew Mister Mochi through the air, making explosion sounds with her mouth.

Asami giggled, while her wife slumped in place. Korra took on a mildly disgusted look. "Really? You like  _that_  one?" She turned her head and looked around, as if searching for an excuse. "You know, Mommy's barely in that one." She raised a hand, pointing at Asami for emphasis.

"Yeah," Asami agreed. "I was kind of busy at the time, trying to save our company and figuring out if I liked Mako or not."

Korra tilted her head to look across her shoulder at Asami. "I'm really glad we figured that one out." Asami tightened her squeeze around Korra's middle, making her wife laugh softly in response.

Tomiko stared at the two of them for a few moments, apparently getting lost in the wandering topic, unable to understand the undertones. She eventually demanded that the attention come back to her. "I want to hear the story," she complained.

"Are you sure, honey?" Asami asked from Korra's shoulder. "You were dreaming about spirits, do you really want to hear about Vaatu again?"

"I'm not scared," Tomiko said assertively. Though, even as she said it she clutched the plush to her chest and moved to slide into Korra's open lap. Korra moved to hug Tomiko once she settled. Asami briefly smiled at the shared hug. Asami holding Korra, Korra holding Tomiko, and Tomiko holding Mister Mochi at the end.

Korra sighed, but started to sit up. She tried not to move too much, allowing Asami to keep her arms where they were. Korra clicked her tongue, apparently trying to think of how to begin. "Um, okay. Well I guess it started when we all went to the South Pole, and then Mako and I—"

Tomiko interrupted. "Tell the story with Mommy in it."

Korra raised an eyebrow, but smiled a little when Asami started laughing from her shoulder. It was something of a joke from the last time the story was told, but apparently Tomiko remembered and wanted that version. Korra shrugged in defeat, retelling the story. "Okay, so then  _Mommy_  and I were at the Glacier Spirits Festival—" Asami giggled at the revised history. "—eating cotton candy, but then this dark spirit showed up and—"

Tomiko cut in again, apparently too distracted to pay close attention to the story. "When is the Glacier Spirits Festimus? I want to eat cotton candy too."

Korra looked down at their daughter with a smile. "The Glacier Spirits  _Festival_  is in winter. It's changed a bit over the years, but it's still nice. I guess we can take you this year, since we didn't go last year."

"You can visit your grandparents, too," Asami added.

Tomiko's eyes lit up at the mention of grandparents. She started to bounce in Korra's lap, at least until Korra set a hand on her head to calm her down. She did, but she looked up with wide cyan eyes. "I want to see Grandma and Grandpa. Can we go now?" she asked excitedly.

Korra groaned. Asami knew it wasn't from a lack of desire to return to the South Pole, but rather from simply trying to keep up with their overactive daughter. "We visited my parents twice in the last three months. We can't be on vacation all the time."

"Says who?" Asami asked teasingly.

Korra shot her a glance, but the look turned into a smile. "Okay, I guess we can call them tomorrow and see. But I'm sure they're tired of us by now."

"Nonsense," Asami protested. "They tell us to come back soon every time we go. Spoiling Miko has become their favorite pastime."

Korra sighed exhaustedly. "I wish Mom would stop getting her things. I keep telling her we have it covered. You know they don't have as much to spare as we do."

Asami shrugged. "It makes her happy. I'm sure she wouldn't do it if they couldn't afford it. Your dad's the chief. I'm sure they're managing just fine."

Korra nodded. "I guess." She turned her head, looking down at Tomiko. "We'll call tomorrow and you can talk to Grandma and Grandpa on the phone, and ask them about going to visit." Korra stopped, rolling her eyes in a playful manner. She emphasized the next word strongly, pouring heavy sarcasm into it. " _Again._ "

"Okay!" Tomiko said, sounding thrilled. Korra's sarcasm was apparently lost on her.

"I want you to do at least an hour of meditation with me before we can call though," Korra said sternly.

Tomiko whined loudly. "Do I have to? It's too hard!"

Korra shrugged with mock helplessness. "I  _tried_  to get you out of it, but the spirits were all like, 'Hey where's Tomiko at? We want to hang out with her because she's so smart and cool.' And I just said, 'Sorry guys, she thinks meditation is boring.' And then they said—" Korra was interrupted by Tomiko pulling on her arm, the young girl giggling loudly, obviously disbelieving the story. Korra smiled, moving into a more encouraging lecture. "It was really hard for me at first too. I couldn't get the hang of anything spiritual until I was seventeen, and it still took years of work. You're actually doing really well in your studies so far."

"You do have one of the best teachers in the world, though," Asami said to Tomiko with a smile. She reached around Korra to give their daughter a pat on the head. "But it sounds like you're going to be pretty busy." Asami turned her eyes to Korra to get her attention, still speaking to Tomiko. "Since I already promised you we'd work on cars tomorrow."

"Oh, did you?" Korra asked, tilting her head into the conversation. "I guess meditation can wait then." She moved both hands to ruffle Tomiko's hair, turning the already unkempt locks into a complete mess. "We don't want to wear out our baby girl, do we?" Tomiko had a silly grin on her face, some of her hair now obscuring her eyes.

Asami reached out to try and fix Tomiko's hair, but it was beyond anything she could repair with her fingers alone. After a long and comfortable session clinging to Korra, Asami finally pushed away with an exhale. She turned, dropping her feet to the floor. "Maybe if you did, one or both of you would settle down for a change!" she joked. Despite the early hour, Korra and Tomiko were both wide awake. As a result, Asami had to be, too. "You two do nothing but tire me out," she said, moving to a nearby table and picking up a hairbrush. She returned to the bed, settling onto the sheets to offer a hand for Tomiko to join her.

She did. The young girl dragged her plush toy across the bed, turning around to sit in front of Asami, who began to brush the knots out of her hair. Tomiko blinked a few times, restraining what protests she had about being groomed. "Can I have some juice?" she asked to the room in general.

Now unraveled from both of the other girls, Korra offered a shrug. "I'll get it. Is lychee juice okay?" Korra moved on after Tomiko nodded. She turned her eyes to look at Asami. "You want some tea, babe?"

Asami took a breath before sighing in defeat. "I guess so," she said. "Looks like we're staying up for a little while longer." She pulled on Tomiko's hair once it was brushed straight. She began to separate it into three equal-sized strands, braiding it to keep it out of the way. When Asami didn't tend to Tomiko's hair, it usually ended up a wreck.

Korra nodded as she hopped free of the bed. "I'll be back in a few minutes then."

Asami smiled as her wife turned to leave, leaving her with Tomiko and the braid. Asami continued to twirl the strands of hair down to the ends. She raised one hand, tugging a hairband from her own ponytail to keep Tomiko's hair together. After twisting it into place, she patted Tomiko on the back to indicate she was finished. "There you go, sweetie."

Tomiko leaned forward, shaking her head to toss the long braid around her head. She eventually caught it with both hands, looping it around her neck as if it were a necklace. She tilted her head backward, staring at Asami upside down. "Thank you, Mommy."

Asami beamed at her daughter's politeness. It was something they'd been working on for a while. Korra usually forgot, and Tomiko's personality tended to drift more in that direction when left unchecked, but Asami did want to make sure their daughter was courteous, at least. Asami nodded in response, emphasizing her words, genuine as they were. "You're welcome."

Tomiko resumed playing with her braid. She bounced in place, but her energy seemed to be waning. Asami stood to leave the bed, walking to a nearby dresser to retrieve a replacement hair band. As she dug through a drawer, she heard Tomiko over her shoulder. "Do you have any stories like Mom?"

Asami paused, standing up to consider the question. While she thought about it, she raised a blue hair band from the dresser and tied her hair back. There wasn't much she could tell that would be terribly exciting. She turned to look across the room at her daughter. "I'm afraid I don't. All my stories are your mom's stories. Before that, I lived with my dad and mostly worked in the factory. I didn't know a lot of people." She thought briefly about the few conversations she'd had about her father with Tomiko, who was naturally curious about him. Tomiko of course understood that most people had a mother and a father, and that her situation was special. And she thankfully seemed to know that both of her parents loved her.

"What about your mommy?" Tomiko asked from behind her.

The question made Asami tense up. Her fingers curled on the edge of the dresser. She took a few seconds to turn around, leaning on the surface. She cast her eyes across the room, looking at Tomiko, now laying on the bed and using Mister Mochi as a pillow. She had wide, inquisitive eyes. Asami sighed heavily. Memories of her mother did still bring her stress, but she was becoming more at peace with it every day. She turned one hand over to gesture as she spoke. "She's not with us anymore, honey. She hasn't been since I was very little."

"Oh," Tomiko said softly, going quiet. She suddenly looked contemplative, turning her eyes downward, over the edge of the bed.

Asami did tell Tomiko at one point that her father had died, though in gentler words. Tomiko wanted to know why Korra talked about her parents all the time and Asami rarely did, only occasionally mentioning her father. Asami never got around to talking about her mother, however. But she didn't intend to let the gloomy memories ruin the evening. She offered her daughter a smile. "It's okay. I know she loved me very much, and she'd be here if she could."

Tomiko turned in place, rolling onto her side. Her cyan eyes raised to fall on Asami once again, but her eyelids were starting to droop. "Was she pretty?" she asked.

Asami nodded. "Yes, she was very pretty." Asami's thoughts wandered, starting to recall small details about her mother, despite what few memories she had of her. Even what she looked like was based on pictures. She couldn't even remember anything else, not how she moved or what her voice sounded like. But as she concentrated, something began to come back to her. A gentle, melodic tune started to fill her head. She blinked slowly, turning to look back at Tomiko. "You know, I don't have any stories, but I can sing you a song."

Tomiko stared across the room from her spot on the bed. She turned over again, laying on her stomach. She grabbed a pillow with one hand and flopped her head on it, taking the plush buffalo yak and squeezing it against her chest. She looked curious, if tired. "What song?"

Asami pushed away from the dresser, walking to the bed. She eased down onto it, sitting beside her daughter to run her fingers across the young girl's head. She breathed slowly in and out, trying to relax. "It's a song my mother used to sing to me when I was a little girl. Do you want to hear it?"

Tomiko nodded slowly, blinking drowsy eyes up at her mother. She settled down as Asami prepared herself. She quickly went over the words in her head, making sure she remembered them all correctly. She was quiet for several long seconds, repeating each part a few times to make sure it was consistent. She then sighed, closing her eyes, and starting the slow-paced and quiet tune.

" _Where's my little bird?_

_Where has she gone?_

_Where's my little bird?_

_I miss her songs._

_Where's my little bird?_

_I'm at the tree_

_where my little bird_

_first sang to me._

_Where's my little bird?_

_Down by the lake?_

_Is my little bird_

_even awake?_

_Where's my little bird?_

_Is she not there?_

_Is my little bird_

_up in the air?_

_There's my little bird_

_on my window._

_My sweet little bird_

_sings her hello."_

Asami ended the song, listening to the following seconds of silence. She expected a response out of Tomiko, but when she heard nothing, she opened her eyes to look down. Tomiko was curled up on the pillow at Asami's side, apparently sound asleep. Asami didn't know how far through the song the girl had made it, but the slow, meandering pace meant it could've been anytime in the last couple minutes. She carefully shifted her weight, leaning down to kiss Tomiko's forehead. "Goodnight, Little Bird," she whispered. She then sighed, her eyes looking upward to glance at the ceiling, trying to stare through it. "Thank you so much, Mom."

She began to move to lay down, but suddenly remembered Korra would be returning shortly with tea and juice. She turned her eyes to the door, curling her lips in thought. She carefully pushed away from the bed, moving to stand and make sure she didn't disturb Tomiko. She crept toward the doorway, quietly pulling the door closed. She hoped to intercept Korra to keep her from making too much noise.

She kept her eyes on the dark hallway, waiting for her wife to return. She soon did. Korra came around the corner with a brisk pace, carrying a cup in each hand. Her steps slowed when she saw Asami standing in the hallway with arms crossed, leaning against the wall. Korra's face took on a perplexed expression as she came to a stop. "Is something the matter?" she asked, slight worry in her eyes.

Asami shook her head. "No. Miko just fell asleep," Asami whispered. "I just didn't want us to make a bunch of noise and wake her up."

Korra pouted. "Aw, but I brought her juice." Korra held both of the cups, glancing from one to the other before shrugging. "I guess I'll drink it." She extended the other cup for Asami to take.

Asami raised both hands, taking the teacup with a warm, appreciative smile. She raised it to her nose, taking in the scent of ginseng. She renewed her smile, slowly sipping from the cup. Korra knew she liked ginseng. "I wish I could enjoy this more, but I feel so worn-out." After a second sip, she let out a sigh, letting the tea relax some of her stress. "I really want to thank you, though."

Korra cocked her head. She was drinking from the smaller cup of juice originally intended for Tomiko. She seemed to pick up on Asami's thanks meaning something more. "For what, the tea?" she asked.

Asami shook her head, smiling sweetly. "No. For this — all of this." She leaned forward, lifting her unoccupied hand to lay her palm against Korra's cheek. "For you and me. For helping me through so many things. And for sticking with me. I guess what I mean is, thank you for… being mine." She stopped, just resting her hand on Korra's face, staring into her eyes, watching her wife beam brightly at the shower of compliments. Korra looked like she wanted to say something, but couldn't figure out what. Asami continued to speak instead. "And thank you for Tomiko, too. I don't know what I'd do without my girls. You've both helped me discover a lot about myself. I'm so glad we ended up where we are today."

Korra turned her head enough to kiss the inside of Asami's palm. "You've helped me, too. More than I can say, honestly. You were there through all my darkest times and… it was worth sticking it out for you." She started to chuckle. "I never thought all those years ago that a beautiful, elegant, rich girl would bring me this far. But she did." Asami giggled quietly at the comment, trying to hide her face. Korra turned her head again, nuzzling into the fingertips on her cheek. "The two of you give me strength. You keep me happy and healthy."

Asami laughed softly. "If love keeps you healthy, you're going to live forever, Korra."

Korra grinned, moving into a hug. Asami carefully balanced the hot tea in one hand, embracing Korra with her other arm. After a long silence, with both of them just enjoying the closeness, Korra spoke up again. "Do you think Tomiko realizes how special she is?"

"If she doesn't now, she will eventually," Asami said.

"I just hope we aren't putting too much pressure on her. I'm sure everyone has high expectations of her, considering her parents are the Avatar and the CEO of Future Industries." Korra eased back from the hug, releasing Asami to take a drink of lychee juice.

"I have no doubt she'll take over our company one day." Asami thought briefly about how when they first met Tomiko, she enjoyed playing with blocks. Since then she graduated to puzzles and models, and started to express a desire to build things of her own. Sometimes Asami struggled to keep up. "But maybe she deserves a break. I know I could use one."

Korra smiled, raising a hand to tap Asami on the nose with her index finger. "Maybe after tomorrow we can see if Opal and Bolin would like to have her visit. Tomiko loves playing with their kids. And it'd give us some time alone, just the two of us."

Asami started to giggle. She picked up on the extra emphasis placed in the last few words. She parted her lips, leaning closer to Korra. Her free hand moved to Korra's collar, tracing slowly across her skin as she returned the flirtation. "My my, Mrs. Sato, just what  _are_  you suggesting?"

Korra grinned. "Just that we have more than five minutes to ourselves for a change. What we do with that extra time is… up for debate," she said with a decisive nod and a coy smile.

Asami pushed more into Korra, giving her a gentle nudge to back her into the wall. Asami rested her chest against her wife, leaning in to nip at her neck with a quiet growl. "I'd like that," she started to say. But even as she felt Korra's responsive shiver, Asami stood back to sigh. She still felt very drowsy, lingering in a strange sleepless state that made her mind fuzzy. Her expression changed, elevating her eyebrows and twisting her mouth to one side as she asked, "Is it sad that we have to schedule this kind of stuff now?"

Korra exhaled, relaxing after Asami backed away from her. She shook her head. "I don't think so. It's just one of the things we signed up for. Pretty sure it's just a parent thing." She tilted her head, offering a playful smirk. "Just think, only another twelve years or so and we're in the clear."

"It's still worth it," Asami said. She closed the distance between them, pulling Korra into a deep kiss. She wasn't able to linger on the contact for too long, still held back by sleepiness. But for a fleeting moment she did enjoy the touch of Korra's tongue on her lips. When the kiss broke, she could only exhale, looking forward to the promise of more to come. She felt genuinely excited, with a warmth swelling inside her stomach. Just the thought of being with Korra at all made her feel like a teenager again. At least, when she wasn't distracted by exhaustion. She kissed Korra on the nose, complaining. "I'm  _really_  tired, sweetie, and the tea isn't making it any better."

Korra reached up to cup Asami's cheek with her empty hand. She cradled Asami's head in her palm, and Asami felt as though Korra was holding up all the weight in her body. Korra smiled. "Let's go to sleep, babe. We'll figure the rest out later. We have all the time in the world."


End file.
